Tuning of electronic properties in highly lattice-mismatched epitaxial SmN

We demonstrate that the electronic properties of epitaxial SmN thin films can be effectively tuned during growth by controlling the synthesis parameters. By carefully adjusting these parameters, we are able to drive SmN from an insulating ferromagnetic state to a ferromagnetic metallic state. Furthermore, we probe the magnetic domains present in the material and present findings on the anomalous magnetoresistance effects on these thin film samples. We discuss possible scenarios for the growth conditions and physical characteristics in these films necessary for the manifestation of superconductivity, and examine implications for the underlying pairing mechanism in this material. These findings open a new pathway for the epitaxial engineering of multifunctional materials, enabling the monolithic integration of diverse electronic phases, such as ferromagnetism and metallicity, without the lattice mismatch and strain typically associated with heteroepitaxial growth of dissimilar materials.