Preparation and magnetic properties of amorphous EuTiO₃ thin films

Amorphous EuTiO₃ thin films have been prepared by a pulsed laser deposition method, and their structural and magnetic properties have been investigated. High-resolution transmission electron microscope image and selected-area electron diffraction pattern as well as X-ray diffraction pattern confirm the amorphous nature of the thin films. ¹⁵¹Eu conversion-electron Mössbauer effect measurements show that almost all of the europium ions are present as Eu²⁺ in the thin films. The amorphous EuTiO₃ thin film exhibits a positive Weiss temperature of 8.7 K, indicating predominant ferromagnetic interactions among Eu²⁺ ions. The signature of a ferromagnetic-like transition is observed at around 5.5 K.