Phase transitions and magnetic domain coexistence in Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 thin films

•Perovskite oxide Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (NSMO) thin films were grown on (1 1 0)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates.•With decreasing temperature, NSMO goes from paramagnetic/insulator to ferromagnetic/metal and then to antiferromagnetic/charge-ordered insulator.•The NSMO film displays both vertical and lateral magnetic phase separation.•The FM and AFM properties of the main NSMO layer were probed as a function of temperature using soft X-ray magnetic spectroscopy.•The coexistence of lateral FM and AFM domains was demonstrated at 110 K using X-ray photoemission electron microscopy. We present a study of the physical properties of perovskite oxide Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (NSMO) thin films grown on (110)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates. In bulk form, NSMO displays coupled magnetic and electronic transitions from paramagnetic/insulator to ferromagnetic (FM)/metal and then to antiferromagnetic (AFM)/charge-ordered insulator with decreasing temperature. In thin films, the AFM ordering only occurs when the films exist in an anisotropic strain state such as those obtained on (110)-oriented cubic substrates. In this work, resonant X-ray reflectivity, soft X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (X-PEEM), and magnetometry measurements showed that the NSMO film displays both vertical and lateral magnetic phase separation. Specifically, the film consists of three layers with different density and magnetic properties. The FM and AFM properties of the main NSMO layer were probed as a function of temperature using soft X-ray magnetic spectroscopy, and the coexistence of lateral FM and AFM domains was demonstrated at 110 K using X-PEEM.