Control of magnetic properties in LaCrO₃-LaFeO₃ artificial superlattices

The magnetic properties of LaFeO₃-LaCrO₃ superlattices have been artificially controlled by adjusting the atomic order of the B site ions via changes of the stacking direction of the (100), (110) and (111) planes and adjustment of the stacking periodicity. When Fe and Cr layers are atomically stacked along the (111) direction, ferromagnetism appears. In the case of superlattices growing along the (100) and (110) directions, antiferromagnetic properties appear, and the Néel temperature changes systematically as the stacking periodicity increases. Although the total number of Fe and Cr ions are the same in the (100), (110) and (111) stacking planes, different magnetic properties can be created in artificial superlattices.