Materials engineering on the nanoscale by precise control of growth parameters can lead to

many unusual and fascinating physical properties. The development of pulsed laser deposition

(PLD) 25 years ago has enabled atomistic control of thin films and interfaces and as such it has contributed significantly to advances in fundamental material science. One application area is the research field of spintronics, which requires optimized nanomaterials for the generation

and transport of spin-polarized carriers. The mixed-valence manganite La1−xSrxMnO3

(LSMO) is an interesting material for spintronics due to its intrinsic magnetoresistance

properties, electric-field tunable metal–insulator transitions, and half-metallic band structure.

Studies on LSMO thin-film growth by PLD show that the deposition temperature, oxygen

pressure, laser fluence, strain due to substrate–film lattice mismatch and post-deposition

annealing conditions significantly influence the magnetic and electrical transport properties of

LSMO. For spintronic structures, robust ferromagnetic exchange interactions and metallic

conductivity are desirable properties. In this paper, we review the physics of LSMO thin films

and the important role that PLD played in advancing the field of LSMO-based spintronics.

Some specific application areas including magnetic tunnel junctions, multiferroic tunnel

junctions and organic spintronic devices are highlighted, and the advantages, drawbacks and

opportunities of PLD-grown LSMO for next-generation spintronic devices are discussed.