Effect of lattice strain on magnetism in epitaxial YCrO₃ films

The influence of lattice strain on magnetism is studied for perovskite rare-earth chromite, YCrO3 (YCO) thin films. A combined theoretical and experimental approach is used to demonstrate the correlation between lattice-strain and magnetic properties of YCO films. The first-principles calculations reveal that the local Cr magnetic moments and the out-of-plane magnetization linearly increase with changing the in-plane lattice strain from compressive to tensile. The experimental results agree with the theory findings showing a strong dependence of magnetization on epitaxial strain in YCO films. These results unveil the lattice-strain-controlled functionalities on perovskite rare-earth chromites and related material systems. IMPACT STATEMENT This work demonstrates the correlation between lattice and spin degree of freedoms in rare-earth chromites, which establishes a way to tailor functionalities in magneto-electric device applications.