Magnetoresistance of SrRuO3 ultra-thin films

We have studied the presence and relevance of magnetic disorder in epitaxial SrRuO3 ultra-thin (3.5,7 nm) films grown by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 (0 0 1) substrates with miscut angle theta v = 1.5 degrees and 4 degrees. The magnetotransport measurements reveal that the disorder induced during film deposition is strongly dependent on the substrate miscut angle. Moreover, it is shown that disorder is essentially developed near the interface, since by increasing the thickness, its effects on the magnetotransport properties are largely reduced. These findings are relevant for the understanding of functional properties of oxide multilayered structures with SrRuO3 electrodes. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.