Thickness‐Dependent Structure–Property Relationships in Strained (110) SrRuO₃ Thin Films

Abstract Thickness‐dependent structure–property relationships in strained SrRuO₃ thin films on GdScO₃ (GSO) substrates are reported. The film is found to have epitaxially stabilized crystal structures that vary with the film thickness. Below 16 nm, the √2a_pc × √2a_pc × 2a_pc monoclinic structure is stabilized while above 16 nm the film has the a_pc × 2a_pc × a_pc tetragonal structure. The thickness‐dependent structural changes are ascribed to the substrate‐induced modification in the RuO₆ octahedral rotation pattern, which highlights the significance of the octahedral rotations for the epitaxial strain accommodation in the coherently‐grown films. Close relationships between the structural and physical properties of the films are also found. The monoclinic film has the uniaxial magnetic easy axis 45° away from the [110]_GSO direction while the tetragonal film has the one that lies along the in‐plane [1–10]_GSO direction. The results demonstrate that the octahedral rotations in the strained perovskite oxide thin films are a key factor for determining their structure phases and physical properties.