Spin dynamics and relaxation in 7.6 nm thin film of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 /SrTiO 3 : ac magnetic susceptibility and magnetic viscosity investigations
Analysis of the results from our investigations of the temperature dependence of ac susceptibilities (χ' and χ'') and magnetic viscosity in a 7.6 nm thin film of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 grown on SrTiO 3 (001) substrate is presented. The Curie temperature (T C ) of this film is magnetic field (H) dependent, varying as [T C (H) - T C (0)] ~ H n with T C (0) = 270 K and n = 0.15. Temperature dependence of χ' and χ'' measured at ac frequencies f m in the range of 0.1–10 kHz shows a broad peak near 230 K associated with the blocking temperature (T B ) of spin clusters present in the 1.4 nm surface layer and a frequency dependent peak near 270 K associated with T C . The mean relaxation time τ determined from the Cole–Cole analysis of the temperature dependent χ' and χ'' is shown to fit the Vogel–Fulcher law: τ = τ 0 exp[ΔE/k B (T - T 0 )] with T 0 = 245 K, ΔE/k B = 270 K = T C and τ 0 = 1.2 x 10 -9 s. Magnetic viscosity S (measured in H = 0 for a sample cooled in H = 50 Oe) determined from the fit to the magnetization: M (t)= M (0) – S ln t, with time t up to 2 h, shows a peak at 230 K above which M (2 h) switches to negative values for temperatures up to T C (0). It is argued that this negative magnetization results from an interaction between the superparamagnetic spin clusters and the ferromagnetic phase, both being present in the temperature range of T B < T < T C .