Double epitaxy of tetragonal and hexagonal phases in the FeSe system

Abstract

Epitaxial films which contains more than one crystallographic orientation are of interest due to the possibility of altered magnetic, electrical, and optical properties. Thin films of FeSe have been grown on single-crystal MgO substrates under conditions that produces the simultaneous, epitaxial growth of tetragonal and hexagonal phases. We show that this double epitaxy is characterized by phase domains with a well-defined epitaxial relationship to each other and that the relative phase fraction can be controlled. For growth temperatures of 350-450 degrees C, the (001)-oriented tetragonal phase (${\beta}$-FeSe) grows with its unit cell aligned with the cubic substrate, while a (101)-oriented hexagonal phase (Fe$_7$Se$_8$) shows domains with two different in-plane orientations separated by 45 degrees. Additionally, the ${\beta}$-FeSe phase can be chosen to be (001)- or (101)-oriented with respect to the substrate, with the (101) orientation containing three rotated domains.