Magneto-transport and magneto-optical properties of Cr-alloyed SnO2 thin films: A correlation between structural and magnetic behaviors

In this work, the fin oxide thin films alloyed with Cr up to 50 at% were prepared via a spray pyrolysis method on the glass substrates, and their structural, magneto-optical and magneto-transport properties were studied. The results show that all the films are polycrystalline grown in a tetragonal rutile structure. A critical Cr concentration of about 15% was found concerning the lattice volume variations in SnO2 :Cr films, as well as their magnetoresistance and magneto-optical properties suggesting a correlation between the structural and magnetic behaviors and indicating to two different mechanisms for Cr addition. For low Cr concentrations (less than 15%), the substitutional doping is the involving mechanism, while for more Cr concentrations, the interstitial one is predominant in the involved films.