Epitaxial growth of antiperovskite GaCMn₃ film on perovskite LaAlO₃ substrate

We report on the magnetic and transport properties of the antiperovskite GaCMn₃ film epitaxially grown on LaAlO₃ using the pulsed laser deposition technique. Upon cooling from room temperature, the GaCMn₃ film undergoes magnetic transitions from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic. The Curie and Neél temperatures of the film shift to lower and higher temperatures, respectively, by comparison with those of the bulk sample. This discrepancy is mainly ascribed to the compressive strain effect induced by the lattice-mismatch between film and substrate. Negative magnetoresistance, which is about 20% at 0.5 T, is observed near the Neél temperature.