Chemically specific termination control of oxide interfaces via layer-by-layer mean inner potential engineering

H. Y. Sun, Z. W. Mao, T. W. Zhang, L. Han, T. T. Zhang, X. B. Cai, X. Guo, Y. F. Li, Y. P. Zang, W. Guo, J. H. Song, D. X. Ji, C. Y. Gu, C. Tang, Z. B. Gu, N. Wang, Y. Zhu, D. G. Schlom, Y. F. Nie () and X. Q. Pan
Additional contact information
H. Y. Sun: Nanjing University
Z. W. Mao: Nanjing University
T. W. Zhang: Nanjing University
L. Han: Nanjing University
T. T. Zhang: Nanjing University
X. B. Cai: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
X. Guo: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom
Y. F. Li: Nanjing University
Y. P. Zang: Nanjing University
W. Guo: Nanjing University
J. H. Song: Nanjing University
D. X. Ji: Nanjing University
C. Y. Gu: Nanjing University
C. Tang: Nanjing University
Z. B. Gu: Nanjing University
N. Wang: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Y. Zhu: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom
D. G. Schlom: Cornell University
Y. F. Nie: Nanjing University
X. Q. Pan: Nanjing University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Creating oxide interfaces with precise chemical specificity at the atomic layer level is desired for the engineering of quantum phases and electronic applications, but highly challenging, owing partially to the lack of in situ tools to monitor the chemical composition and completeness of the surface layer during growth. Here we report the in situ observation of atomic layer-by-layer inner potential variations by analysing the Kikuchi lines during epitaxial growth of strontium titanate, providing a powerful real-time technique to monitor and control the chemical composition during growth. A model combining the effects of mean inner potential and step edge density (roughness) reveals the underlying mechanism of the complex and previously not well-understood reflection high-energy electron diffraction oscillations observed in the shuttered growth of oxide films. General rules are proposed to guide the synthesis of atomically and chemically sharp oxide interfaces, opening up vast opportunities for the exploration of intriguing quantum phenomena at oxide interfaces.

Date: 2018
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-04903-4 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04903-4

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04903-4

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().