Pulsed Laser Deposition of Cr$_{2-x}$Fe$_{x}$TeO$_{6}$ Thin Film

Promising spintronic concepts such as Cr$_{2}$O$_{3}$ based voltage-controlled exchange bias system [1] employ electric controlled boundary magnetization. Symmetry arguments reveal that equilibrium boundary magnetization is a generic property of magnetoelectric antiferromagnets [2]. However, experimental evidence of the boundary magnetization is scarce. Here we explore non-traditional growth of magnetoelectric oxides with tri-rutile structure using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) methodology. We grow and characterize structurally and magnetically various magnetoelectric thin films of the Cr$_{2-x}$Fe$_{x}$TeO$_{6}$ family starting from x=2 in order to take advantage of the reduced chemical complexity of Fe$_{2}$TeO$_{6}$ and the beneficial high temperature onset of antiferromagnetic order at 230K in comparison to 90K of Cr$_{2}$TeO$_{6}$. Our investigation aims on an experimental test of the predicted generality of the equilibrium boundary magnetization in magnetoelectric antiferromagnets. \\[4pt] [1]. He, Xi et al., Nature Materials 9, 579 - 585 (2010) \\[0pt] [2]. Belashchenko, K.D., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 147204 (2010)