NSC OPUS: External stimuli-assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy of functional layers and nano-structures

The scientific goal of the project is to develop innovative growth methods of epitaxial films and nanostructures with specific structural and magnetic properties optimized for spintronic applications. The intended effect is to be achieved by supporting the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) process with electromagnetic and mechanical external stimuli, such as electric field (EF), magnetic field (MF) or strain (SF). We expect that due to the high susceptibility of epitaxial growth to external parameters and strong size effects at the nanoscale, activation of these external stimuli in the MBE process will allow for precise control of morphology, exchange interactions, magnetic anisotropy, and magneto-transport properties. The developed technology will be applied to selected epitaxial materials with application potential, such as iron oxides (hematite, magnetite) and other transition metal oxides, metal-oxide heterostructures, epitaxial metal alloys, epitaxial films on flexible substrates, etc. Examples of expected effects of supporting the MBE process external fields include modification of structural and magnetic phase transitions (e.g. Morin transition in hematite), engineering of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, enhancement of exchange polarization in ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic systems.