Reduced leakage currents and possible charge carriers tuning in Mg-doped Ga 0.6Fe 1.4O 3 thin films

Abstract

Ga 0.6Fe 1.4O 3 is predicted to be magnetoelectric with non zero magnetization at room temperature. However, in thin films, electric properties are overshadowed by strong leakage currents. In this Letter, we show that Mg doping in Ga 0.6Fe 1.4O 3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition allows decreasing the leakage current density by four orders of magnitude and might simultaneously allow tuning the carriers' nature. These results suggest the possibility to develop a new class of material exhibiting room temperature magnetization, tunable transport properties, and magnetoelectric properties. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.