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Channelling study of La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$CoO$_3$ films on different substrates

The cobalt oxide system LaCoO$_3$ and its Sr-doped child compounds have been intensively studied for decades due to their intriguing magnetic and electronic properties. Preparing thin La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$CoO$_3$ (LSCO) films on different substrates allows for studies with a new type of perturbation, as the films are subject to substrate-dependent epitaxial strain. By choosing a proper substrate for a thin film grow, not only compressing but also tensile strain can be applied. The consequences for the fundamental physical properties are dramatic: while compressed films are metallic, as the bulk material, films under tensile strain become insulating. The goal of this work is to determine the strain tensor in LSCO films prepared on LaAlO$_3$ and SrTiO$_3$ substrates by pulsed laser deposition using RBS/channelling methods. Apart from the composition and defect structure of the samples, the depth dependence of the strain tensor, the cell parameters, and the volume of the unit cell are also determined. Asymmetric behaviour of the strained cell parameters is found on both substrates. This asymmetry is rather weak in the case of LSCO film grown on LaAlO$_3$, while stronger on SrTiO$_3$ substrate. The strain is more effective at the interface, some relaxation can be observed near to the surface.