Correlation between structure and properties in multiferroic La0.7Ca0.3MnO3∕BaTiO3 superlattices

Superlattices composed of ferromagnetics, namely La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO), and ferroelectrics, namely, BaTiO3 (BTO), were grown on SrTiO3 at 720 °C by a pulsed laser deposition process. While the out-of-plane lattice parameters of the superlattices, as extracted from the x-ray diffraction studies, were found to be dependent on the BTO layer thickness, the in-plane lattice parameter is almost constant. The evolution of the strains, their nature, and their distribution in the samples were examined by the conventional sin2ψ method. The effects of structural variation on the physical properties, as well as the possible role of the strain on inducing the multiferroism in the superlattices, have also been discussed.