Atomically flat, epitaxial, and stoichiometric thin films of the electronically phase separated compound (La$_{ 0.5}$Pr$_{ 0.5}$)$_{ 0.67}$Ca$_{ 0.33}$MnO$_{ 3}$ were grown on as-received and treated NdGaO$_{ 3}$ substrates by fine tuning of oxygen pressure during deposition. Optimal thin films with step flow growth mode show superior physical properties compared to thin films grown in off-optimal oxygen pressures, { \em viz.} the highest maximum temperature coefficient of resistance, the highest peak-resistivity temperature, and reduced coercive fields. Transport, magnetization, and x-ray diffraction measurements indicate that the oxygen pressure during growth plays a critical role in the formation of oxygen vacancies, cation vacancies, and grain boundaries.
Categories: cond-mat.mtrl-sci cond-mat.str-el