Complex Oxide Thin Films from Perovskite to Pyrochlore

The world of condensed matter physics is a fascinating field. With all of the many different elements to explore, it seems impossible to discover all of their secrets. Nevertheless, a study of two different materials is covered in this work. The first type of materials are the Perovskites; these materials are commonly used in materials research, but still have hidden treasures left for research scientist to explore. The second type of materials are the Pyrochlores. The Pyrochlores are not as widely studied as the Perovskite materials, thus, leaving even more avenues to venture down in the quest to learn the ways of nature and the properties of these materials. In this work, the valence electron states and the magnetic properties of the Perovskite LMO on STO are reported with the samples varying in thickness from 3 – unit cells to 12 – unit cells were measured and the results reported for their XAS measurements. In addition, the growth of the Pyrochlore YTO on YSZ are, also, investigated using XRD and differing growth conditions to ascertain the ideal growth conditions for the material. Furthermore, an overview of the experimental techniques is included to assist in understanding the results of this thesis. Finally, a summary of the results and an outlook for future work is included.