LaAlO3 stoichiometry is key to electron liquid formation at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces

M. P. Warusawithana (), C. Richter, J. A. Mundy, P. Roy, J. Ludwig, S. Paetel, T. Heeg, A. A. Pawlicki, L. F. Kourkoutis, M. Zheng, M. Lee, B. Mulcahy, W. Zander, Y. Zhu, J. Schubert, J. N. Eckstein, D. A. Muller, C. Stephen Hellberg, J. Mannhart and D. G. Schlom
Additional contact information
M. P. Warusawithana: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University
C. Richter: Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, University of Augsburg
J. A. Mundy: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University
P. Roy: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University
J. Ludwig: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University
S. Paetel: Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, University of Augsburg
T. Heeg: Cornell University
A. A. Pawlicki: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University
L. F. Kourkoutis: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University
M. Zheng: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M. Lee: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University
B. Mulcahy: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
W. Zander: Peter Gruenberg Institute 9, JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information, Technologies, Research Centre Jülich
Y. Zhu: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University
J. Schubert: Peter Gruenberg Institute 9, JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information, Technologies, Research Centre Jülich
J. N. Eckstein: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
D. A. Muller: School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University
C. Stephen Hellberg: Center for Computational Materials Science, Naval Research Laboratory
J. Mannhart: Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung
D. G. Schlom: Cornell University

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Emergent phenomena, including superconductivity and magnetism, found in the two-dimensional electron liquid (2-DEL) at the interface between the insulators lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3) and strontium titanate (SrTiO3) distinguish this rich system from conventional 2D electron gases at compound semiconductor interfaces. The origin of this 2-DEL, however, is highly debated, with focus on the role of defects in the SrTiO3, while the LaAlO3 has been assumed perfect. Here we demonstrate, through experiments and first-principle calculations, that the cation stoichiometry of the nominal LaAlO3 layer is key to 2-DEL formation: only Al-rich LaAlO3 results in a 2-DEL. Although extrinsic defects, including oxygen deficiency, are known to render LaAlO3/SrTiO3 samples conducting, our results show that in the absence of such extrinsic defects an interface 2-DEL can form. Its origin is consistent with an intrinsic electronic reconstruction occurring to counteract a polarization catastrophe. This work provides insight for identifying other interfaces where emergent behaviours await discovery.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3351

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