Electronic and magnetic properties of double perovskite thin film Sr₂CrReO₆

Chiral magnetic spin textures, such as skyrmions, have been found in systems that have the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and ferromagnetic exchange, e.g., heavy metal/ferromagnet bilayers. However, to make skyrmions relevant for modern applications, skyrmions need to operate at room temperature and be sufficiently small for high information densities. Oxides offer an excellent platform to accomplish this owing to their pristine epitaxy and highly tunable properties. We explore this possibility in high magnetic ordering temperature Sr₂CrReO₆thin films. Sr₂CrReO₆ films were grown by off-axis dc magnetron sputtering on SrTiO₃(001) and Sr₂CrNbO₆/LSAT(001) substrates. Films were characterized by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy showing both a high degree of crystalline quality and smooth surface topography, respectively. We will also discuss how choice of substrate for growth of Sr₂CrReO₆is crucial as strain can significantly change the magnetic anisotropy—a crucial tuning parameter for skyrmion stability. Lastly, we will show magnetic and electrical characterization of these films and the potential for future skyrmion heterostructures.