Epitaxial stabilization of ultra thin films of electron doped manganites

Abstract

Ultra-thin films of the electron doped manganite La$_{0.8}$Ce$_{0.2}$MnO$_3$ were grown in a layer-by-layer growth mode on SrTiO$_3$ (001) substrates by pulsed laser interval deposition. High structural quality and surface morphology was confirmed by a combination of synchrotron based x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Resonant X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements confirm the presence of Ce$^{+4}$ and Mn$^{+2}$ ions. In addition, the electron doping signature was corroborated by Hall effect measurements. All grown films show ferromagnetic ground state as revealed by both XMCD and magnetoresistance measurements and remain insulating contrary to earlier reports of metal-insulator transition. Our results hint at the possibility of electron-hole asymmetry in the colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) manganite phase diagram akin to high-$T_c$ cuprates.