Giant conductivity switching of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerfaces governed by surface protonation

Keith A. Brown, Shu He, Daniel J. Eichelsdoerfer, Mengchen Huang, Ishan Levy, Hyungwoo Lee, Sangwoo Ryu, Patrick Irvin, Jose Mendez-Arroyo, Chang-Beom Eom, Chad A. Mirkin and Jeremy Levy ()
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Keith A. Brown: Northwestern University
Shu He: Northwestern University
Daniel J. Eichelsdoerfer: Northwestern University
Mengchen Huang: University of Pittsburgh, 100 Allen Hall, 3941 O'Hara Street
Ishan Levy: University of Pittsburgh, 100 Allen Hall, 3941 O'Hara Street
Hyungwoo Lee: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sangwoo Ryu: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Patrick Irvin: University of Pittsburgh, 100 Allen Hall, 3941 O'Hara Street
Jose Mendez-Arroyo: Northwestern University
Chang-Beom Eom: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Chad A. Mirkin: Northwestern University
Jeremy Levy: University of Pittsburgh, 100 Allen Hall, 3941 O'Hara Street

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Complex-oxide interfaces host a diversity of phenomena not present in traditional semiconductor heterostructures. Despite intense interest, many basic questions remain about the mechanisms that give rise to interfacial conductivity and the role of surface chemistry in dictating these properties. Here we demonstrate a fully reversible >4 order of magnitude conductance change at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) interfaces, regulated by LAO surface protonation. Nominally conductive interfaces are rendered insulating by solvent immersion, which deprotonates the hydroxylated LAO surface; interface conductivity is restored by exposure to light, which induces reprotonation via photocatalytic oxidation of adsorbed water. The proposed mechanisms are supported by a coordinated series of electrical measurements, optical/solvent exposures, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This intimate connection between LAO surface chemistry and LAO/STO interface physics bears far-reaching implications for reconfigurable oxide nanoelectronics and raises the possibility of novel applications in which electronic properties of these materials can be locally tuned using synthetic chemistry.

Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10681

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10681

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