Ultrathin Scale Tailoring of Anisotropic Magnetic Coupling and Anomalous Magnetoresistance in SrRuO <inf>3</inf> -PrMnO <inf>3</inf> Superlattices

A strong perpendicular magnetocrystalline anisotropy (PMA) in antiferromagnetically coupled SrRuO 3 (17 uc (unit cell))/PrMnO 3 (n uc) superlattices effectively reconstructs the interfacial spin ordering. The occurrence of significant anisotropic interfacial antiferromagnetic coupling between the Ru and Mn ions is systematically tuned by varying the PrMnO 3 layer thickness in ultrathin scale from 3 to 12 uc, which is associated with a rise in PMA energy from 0.28 × 10 6 to 1.60 × 10 6 erg/cm 3 . The analysis using the Stoner-Wohlfarth model and density functional theory confirm that the exchange anisotropy is the major contribution to the PMA. The superlattices with PrMnO 3 layer thickness ≥7 uc exhibit the tunneling-like transport of Ru 4d electrons, which is rather expected in the stronger antiferromagnetically coupled superlattices with thinner PrMnO 3 layer. Tunneling-like transport at thicker spacer layer in the SrRuO 3 -PrMnO 3 superlattice system is an unique feature of two ferromagnet-based superlattices. Our investigations show that the technologically important interfacial magnetic coupling, PMA, and tunneling magnetoresistance could be achieved in a periodically stacked bilayer and can be precisely manipulated by the size effect in ultrathin scale.