Effect of an interface boundary on the magnetooptical and magnetotransport properties of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures

Journal article, 2010

The optical, magnetooptical (Kerr effect and magnetotransmission), and magnetotransport properties of La2/3Ca1/3MnO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 and La2/3Ca1/3MnO3/SrTiO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 heterostructures on SrTiO3 substrates are studied. The contribution of the interface boundary to the magnetotransmission is typical of a material with a transitional composition. It is found that a 2-nm-thick SrTiO3 spacer does not influence the shape and position of the magnetotransmission peak in a field normal to the surface of the heterostructure but increases the contribution of the upper layer to the magnetotransmission in the Voigt geometry and also enhances the magnetoresistance that is due to the tunneling of spin-polarized carriers through the spacer. The Kerr spectra taken of the heterostructures are typical of single-layer single-crystal films.