Tunable Rashba spin-orbit interaction at oxide interfaces

Quantization of Hall Resistance at the Metallic Interface between an Oxide Insulator and SrTiO_{3}

The two-dimensional metal forming at the interface between an oxide insulator and SrTiO_{3} provides new opportunities for oxide electronics. However, the quantum Hall effect, one of the most fascinating effects of electrons confined in two dimensions, remains underexplored at these complex oxide heterointerfaces. Here, we report the experimental observation of quantized Hall resistance in a SrTiO_{3} heterointerface based on the modulation-doped amorphous-LaAlO_{3}/SrTiO_{3} heterostructure, which exhibits both high electron mobility exceeding 10,000  cm^{2}/V s and low carrier density on the order of ∼10^{12}  cm^{-2}. Along with unambiguous Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, the spacing of the quantized Hall resistance suggests that the interface is comprised of a single quantum well with ten parallel conducting two-dimensional sub-bands. This provides new insight into the electronic structure of conducting oxide interfaces and represents an important step towards designing and understanding advanced oxide devices.

Micrometer-Scale Ballistic Transport of Electron Pairs in LaAlO_{3}/SrTiO_{3} Nanowires

High-mobility complex-oxide heterostructures and nanostructures offer new opportunities for extending the paradigm of quantum transport beyond the realm of traditional III-V or carbon-based materials. Recent quantum transport investigations with LaAlO_{3}/SrTiO_{3}-based quantum dots reveal the existence of a strongly correlated phase in which electrons form spin-singlet pairs without becoming superconducting. Here, we report evidence for the micrometer-scale ballistic transport of electron pairs in quasi-1D LaAlO_{3}/SrTiO_{3} nanowire cavities. In the paired phase, Fabry-Perot-like quantum interference is observed, in sync with conductance oscillations observed in the superconducting regime (at a zero magnetic field). Above a critical magnetic field B_{p}, the electron pairs unbind and the conductance oscillations shift with the magnetic field. These experimental observations extend the regime of ballistic electronic transport to strongly correlated phases.

Tuning directional dependent metal-insulator transitions in quasi-1D quantum wires with spin-orbit density wave instability

We study directional dependent band gap evolutions and metal-insulator transitions (MITs) in model quantum wire systems within the spin-orbit density wave (SODW) model. The evolution of MIT is studied as a function of varying anisotropy between the intra-wire hopping ([Formula: see text]) and inter-wire hopping ([Formula: see text]) with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We find that as long as the anisotropy ratio ([Formula: see text]) remains below 0.5, and the Fermi surface nesting is tuned to [Formula: see text], an exotic SODW induced MIT easily develops, with its critical interaction strength increasing with increasing anisotropy. As [Formula: see text] (2D system), the nesting vector switches to [Formula: see text], making this state again suitable for an isotropic MIT. Finally, we discuss various physical consequences and possible applications of the directional dependent MIT.

Exotic skyrmion crystals in chiral magnets with compass anisotropy

The compass-type anisotropy appears naturally in diverse physical contexts with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) such as transition metal oxides and cold atomic gases etc, and it has been receiving substantial attention. Motivated by recent studies and particularly recent experimental observations on helimagnet MnGe, we investigate the critical roles of this compass-type anisotropy in modulating various spin textures of chiral magnets with strong SOC, by Monte Carlo simulations based on a classical Heisenberg spin model with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction and compass anisotropy. A phase diagram with emergent spin orders in the space of compass anisotropy and out-of-plane magnetic field is presented. In this phase diagram, we propose that a hybrid super-crystal structure consisting of alternating half-skyrmion and half-anti-skyrmion is the possible zero-field ground state of MnGe. The simulated evolution of the spin structure driven by magnetic field is in good accordance with experimental observations on MnGe. Therefore, this Heisenberg spin model successfully captures the main physics responsible for the magnetic structures in MnGe, and the present work may also be instructive to research on the magnetic states in other systems with strong SOC.

Gate dependence of upper critical field in superconducting (110) LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

The fundamental parameters of the superconducting state such as coherence length and pairing strength are essential for understanding the nature of superconductivity. These parameters can be estimated by measuring critical parameters such as upper critical field, H_c2. In this work, H_c2 of a superconducting (110) LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface is determined through magnetoresistive measurements as a function of the gate voltage, V_G. When V_G increases, the critical temperature has a dome-like shape, while H_c2 monotonically decreases. This relationship of independence between the variation of T_c and of H_c2 suggests that the Cooper pairing potential is stronger in the underdoped region and the coherence length increases with the increase of V_G. The result is as for high temperature superconducting cuprates and it is different than for conventional low temperature superconductors.

Strong and Tunable Spin-Orbit Coupling in a Two-Dimensional Hole Gas in Ionic-Liquid Gated Diamond Devices

Hydrogen-terminated diamond possesses due to transfer doping a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) hole accumulation layer at the surface with a strong, Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling that arises from the highly asymmetric confinement potential. By modulating the hole concentration and thus the potential using an electrostatic gate with an ionic-liquid dielectric architecture the spin-orbit splitting can be tuned from 4.6-24.5 meV with a concurrent spin relaxation length of 33-16 nm and hole sheet densities of up to 7.23 × 10(13) cm(-2). This demonstrates a spin-orbit interaction of unprecedented strength and tunability for a 2D hole system at the surface of a wide band gap semiconductor. With a spin relaxation length that is experimentally accessible using existing nanofabrication techniques, this result suggests that hydrogen-terminated diamond has great potential for the study and application of spin transport phenomena.

Anisotropic Transport at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Interface Explained by Microscopic Imaging of Channel-Flow over SrTiO3 Domains

Oxide interfaces, including the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, have been a subject of intense interest for over a decade due to their rich physics and potential as low-dimensional nanoelectronic systems. The field has reached the stage where efforts are invested in developing devices. It is critical now to understand the functionalities and limitations of such devices. Recent scanning probe measurements of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface have revealed locally enhanced current flow and accumulation of charge along channels related to SrTiO3 structural domains. These observations raised a key question regarding the role these modulations play in the macroscopic properties of devices. Here we show that the microscopic picture, mapped by scanning superconducting quantum interference device, accounts for a substantial part of the macroscopically measured transport anisotropy. We compared local flux data with transport values, measured simultaneously, over various SrTiO3 domain configurations. We show a clear relation between maps of local current density over specific domain configurations and the measured anisotropy for the same device. The domains divert the direction of current flow, resulting in a direction-dependent resistance. We also show that the modulation can be significant and that in some cases up to 95% of the current is modulated over the channels. The orientation and distribution of the SrTiO3 structural domains change between different cooldowns of the same device or when electric fields are applied, affecting the device behavior. Our results, highlight the importance of substrate physics, and in particular, the role of structural domains, in controlling electronic properties of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 devices. Furthermore, these results point to new research directions, exploiting the STO domains' ability to divert or even carry current.

Controlling Kondo-like Scattering at the SrTiO3-based Interfaces

The observation of magnetic interaction at the interface between nonmagnetic oxides has attracted much attention in recent years. In this report, we show that the Kondo-like scattering at the SrTiO3-based conducting interface is enhanced by increasing the lattice mismatch and growth oxygen pressure PO2. For the 26-unit-cell LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) interface with lattice mismatch being 3.0%, the Kondo-like scattering is observed when PO2 is beyond 1 mTorr. By contrast, when the lattice mismatch is reduced to 1.0% at the (La0.3Sr0.7)(Al0.65Ta0.35)O3/SrTiO3 (LSAT/STO) interface, the metallic state is always preserved up to PO2 of 100 mTorr. The data from Hall measurement and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy reveal that the larger amount of localized Ti(3+) ions are formed at the LAO/STO interface compared to LSAT/STO. Those localized Ti(3+) ions with unpaired electrons can be spin-polarized to scatter mobile electrons, responsible for the Kondo-like scattering observed at the LAO/STO interface.

Dislocation Majorana zero modes in perovskite oxide 2DEG

Much of the current experimental efforts for detecting Majorana zero modes have been centered on probing the boundary of quantum wires with strong spin-orbit coupling. The same type of Majorana zero mode can also be realized at crystalline dislocations in 2D superconductors with the nontrivial weak topological indices. Unlike at an Abrikosov vortex, at such a dislocation, there is no other low-lying midgap state than the Majorana zero mode so that it avoids usual complications encountered in experimental detections such as scanning tunneling microscope (STM) measurements. We will show that, using the anisotropic dispersion of the t_2g orbitals of Ti or Ta atoms, such a weak topological superconductivity can be realized when the surface two-dimensional electronic gas (2DEG) of SrTiO₃ or KTaO₃ becomes superconducting, which can occur through either intrinsic pairing or proximity to existing s-wave superconductors.

Unconventional dc Transport in Rashba Electron Gases

We discuss the transport properties of a disordered two-dimensional electron gas with strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We show that in the high-density regime where the Fermi energy overcomes the energy associated with spin-orbit coupling, dc transport is accurately described by a standard Drude's law, due to a nontrivial compensation between the suppression of backscattering and the relativistic correction to the quasiparticle velocity. On the contrary, when the system enters the opposite dominant spin-orbit regime, Drude's paradigm breaks down and the dc conductivity becomes strongly sensitive to the spin-orbit coupling strength, providing a suitable tool to test the entanglement between spin and charge degrees of freedom in these systems.

Orbital Reconstruction Enhanced Exchange Bias in La0.6Sr0.4MnO3/Orthorhombic YMnO3 Heterostructures

The exchange bias in ferromagnetic/multiferroic heterostructures is usually considered to originate from interfacial coupling. In this work, an orbital reconstruction enhanced exchange bias was discovered. As La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO₃ (LSMO) grown on YMnO₃ (YMO) suffers a tensile strain (a > c), the doubly degenerate e_g orbital splits into high energy 3z² − r² and low energy x² − y² orbitals, which makes electrons occupy the localized x² − y² orbital and leads to the formation of antiferromagnetic phase in LSMO. The orbital reconstruction induced antiferromagnetic phase enhances the exchange bias in the LSMO/YMO heterostructures, lightening an effective way for electric-field modulated magnetic moments in multiferroic magnetoelectric devices.

Universal Fabrication of 2D Electron Systems in Functional Oxides

2D electron systems (2DESs) in functional oxides are promising for applications, but their fabrication and use, essentially limited to SrTiO3 -based heterostructures, are hampered by the need for growing complex oxide overlayers thicker than 2 nm using evolved techniques. It is demonstrated that thermal deposition of a monolayer of an elementary reducing agent suffices to create 2DESs in numerous oxides.

Evidence for lattice-polarization-enhanced field effects at the SrTiO3-based heterointerface

Electrostatic gating provides a powerful approach to tune the conductivity of the two-dimensional electron liquid between two insulating oxides. For the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ (LAO/STO) interface, such gating effect could be further enhanced by a strong lattice polarization of STO caused by simultaneous application of gate field and illumination light. Herein, by monitoring the discharging process upon removing the gate field, we give firm evidence for the occurrence of this lattice polarization at the amorphous-LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface. Moreover, we find that the lattice polarization is accompanied with a large expansion of the out-of-plane lattice of STO. Photo excitation affects the polarization process by accelerating the field-induced lattice expansion. The present work demonstrates the great potential of combined stimuli in exploring emergent phenomenon at complex oxide interfaces.

Tunable spin polarization and superconductivity in engineered oxide interfaces

Advances in growth technology of oxide materials allow single atomic layer control of heterostructures. In particular delta doping, a key materials' engineering tool in today's semiconductor technology, is now also available for oxides. Here we show that a fully electric-field-tunable spin-polarized and superconducting quasi-2D electron system (q2DES) can be artificially created by inserting a few unit cells of delta doping EuTiO3 at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 oxides. Spin polarization emerges below the ferromagnetic transition temperature of the EuTiO3 layer (TFM = 6-8 K) and is due to the exchange interaction between the magnetic moments of Eu-4f and of Ti-3d electrons. Moreover, in a large region of the phase diagram, superconductivity sets in from a ferromagnetic normal state. The occurrence of magnetic interactions, superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling in the same q2DES makes the LaAlO3/EuTiO3/SrTiO3 system an intriguing platform for the emergence of novel quantum phases in low-dimensional materials.

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

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.

Polaronic metal state at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

Interplay of spin, charge, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom in oxide heterostructures results in a plethora of fascinating properties, which can be exploited in new generations of electronic devices with enhanced functionalities. The paradigm example is the interface between the two band insulators LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 that hosts a two-dimensional electron system. Apart from the mobile charge carriers, this system exhibits a range of intriguing properties such as field effect, superconductivity and ferromagnetism, whose fundamental origins are still debated. Here we use soft-X-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy to penetrate through the LaAlO3 overlayer and access charge carriers at the buried interface. The experimental spectral function directly identifies the interface charge carriers as large polarons, emerging from coupling of charge and lattice degrees of freedom, and involving two phonons of different energy and thermal activity. This phenomenon fundamentally limits the carrier mobility and explains its puzzling drop at high temperatures.

Parallel charge sheets of electron liquid and gas in La0.5Sr0.5TiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

We show here a new phenomenon in La_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃/SrTiO₃ (LSTO/STO) heterostructures; that is a coexistence of three-dimensional electron liquid (3DEL) and 2D electron gas (2DEG), separated by an intervening insulating LSTO layer. The two types of carriers were revealed through multi-channel analysis of the evolution of nonlinear Hall effect as a function of film thickness, temperature and back gate voltage. We demonstrate that the 3D electron originates from La doping in LSTO film and the 2D electron at the surface of STO is due to the polar field in the intervening insulating layer. As the film thickness is reduced below a critical thickness of 6 unit cells (uc), an abrupt metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) occurs without an intermediate semiconducting state. The properties of the LSTO layer grown on different substrates suggest that the insulating phase of the intervening layer is a result of interface strain induced by the lattice mismatch between the film and substrate. Further, by fitting the magnetoresistance (MR) curves, the 6 unit cell thick LSTO is shown to exhibit spin-orbital coupling. These observations point to new functionalities, in addition to magnetism and superconductivity in STO-based systems, which could be exploited in a multifunctional context.

Layer-Resolved Cation Diffusion and Stoichiometry at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterointerface Probed by X-ray Photoemission Experiments and Site Occupancy Modeling

The layer-resolved cation occupancy for different conducting and insulating interfaces of LaAlO3 (LAO) thin films on SrTiO3 (STO) has been determined by angle-resoled X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS). Three STO interfaces with LAO have been considered, namely, a conducting interface with a 5 unit cell (u.c.) LAO layer, an insulating interface with a 5 u.c. LAO layer, and an insulating interface with a 3 u.c. LAO layer. Considering inelastic and elastic scattering processes in the transport approximation, the core-level signal attenuation has been modeled on the basis of Monte Carlo calculations of the electron trajectories across the heterostructures. Different effects involving cation stoichiometry and diffusion through the interface have been considered to interpret data. Beyond a mere abrupt interface modeling, the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterojunction is shown to host cation diffusion processes within 3-4 unit cells in the bulk layer, along with a clear Sr substoichiometry, an issue so far virtually neglected in the analysis of these systems. The present results show the capability of the AR-XPS modeling to explore element-sensitive properties at the oxide interfaces, matching and completing the information that can be provided by probes based on electron microscopy or X-ray scattering.

Route to Topological Superconductivity via Magnetic Field Rotation

The verification of topological superconductivity has become a major experimental challenge. Apart from the very few spin-triplet superconductors with p-wave pairing symmetry, another candidate system is a conventional, two-dimensional (2D) s-wave superconductor in a magnetic field with a sufficiently strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Typically, the required magnetic field to convert the superconductor into a topologically non-trivial state is however by far larger than the upper critical field H(c2), which excludes its realization. In this article, we argue that this problem can be overcome by rotating the magnetic field into the superconducting plane. We explore the character of the superconducting state upon changing the strength and the orientation of the magnetic field and show that a topological state, established for a sufficiently strong out-of-plane magnetic field, indeed extends to an in-plane field orientation. We present a three-band model applicable to the superconducting interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3, which should fulfil the necessary conditions to realize a topological superconductor.

Quantum transport in Rashba spin-orbit materials: a review

In this review article we describe spin-dependent transport in materials with spin-orbit interaction of Rashba type. We mainly focus on semiconductor heterostructures, however we consider topological insulators, graphene and hybrid structures involving superconductors as well. We start from the Rashba Hamiltonian in a two dimensional electron gas and then describe transport properties of two- and quasi-one-dimensional systems. The problem of spin current generation and interference effects in mesoscopic devices is described in detail. We address also the role of Rashba interaction on localisation effects in lattices with nontrivial topology, as well as on the Ahronov-Casher effect in ring structures. A brief section, in the end, describes also some related topics including the spin-Hall effect, the transition from weak localisation to weak anti localisation and the physics of Majorana fermions in hybrid heterostructures involving Rashba materials in the presence of superconductivity.

Universal electronic structure of polar oxide hetero-interfaces

The electronic properties of NdGaO3/SrTiO3, LaGaO3/SrTiO3, and LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces, all showing an insulator-to-metal transition as a function of the overlayer-thickness, are addressed in a comparative study based on x-ray absorption, x-ray photoemission and resonant photoemission spectroscopy. The nature of the charge carriers, their concentration and spatial distribution as well as the interface band alignments and the overall interface band diagrams are studied and quantitatively evaluated. The behavior of the three analyzed heterostructures is found to be remarkably similar. The valence band edge of all the three overlayers aligns to that of bulk SrTiO3. The near-interface SrTiO3 layer is affected, at increasing overlayer thickness, by the building-up of a confining potential. This potential bends both the valence and the conduction band downwards. The latter one crossing the Fermi energy in the proximity of the interface and determines the formation of an interfacial band offset growing as a function of thickness. Quite remarkably, but in agreement with previous reports for LaAlO3/SrTiO3, no electric field is detected inside any of the polar overlayers. The essential phenomenology emerging from our findings is discussed on the base of different alternative scenarios regarding the origin of interface carriers and their interaction with an intense photon beam.

Electric Field Control of Spin Lifetimes in Nb-SrTiO_{3} by Spin-Orbit Fields

We show electric field control of the spin accumulation at the interface of the oxide semiconductor Nb-SrTiO_{3} with Co/AlO_{x} spin injection contacts at room temperature. The in-plane spin lifetime τ_{∥}, as well as the ratio of the out-of-plane to in-plane spin lifetime τ_{⊥}/τ_{∥}, is manipulated by the built-in electric field at the semiconductor surface, without any additional gate contact. The origin of this manipulation is attributed to Rashba spin orbit fields (SOFs) at the Nb-SrTiO_{3} surface and shown to be consistent with theoretical model calculations based on SOF spin flip scattering. Additionally, the junction can be set in a high or low resistance state, leading to a nonvolatile control of τ_{⊥}/τ_{∥}, consistent with the manipulation of the Rashba SOF strength. Such room temperature electric field control over the spin state is essential for developing energy-efficient spintronic devices and shows promise for complex oxide based (spin) electronics.

Strong correlations elucidate the electronic structure and phase diagram of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

The interface between the two band insulators SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 has the unexpected properties of a two-dimensional electron gas. It is even superconducting with a transition temperature, T(c), that can be tuned using gate bias V(g), which controls the number of electrons added or removed from the interface. The gate bias-temperature (V(g), T) phase diagram is characterized by a dome-shaped region where superconductivity occurs, that is, T(c) has a non-monotonic dependence on V(g), similar to many unconventional superconductors. Here, we report, the frequency of the quantum resistance-oscillations versus inverse magnetic field for various V(g). This frequency follows the same non-monotonic behaviour as T(c); a similar trend is seen in the low field limit of the Hall coefficient. We theoretically show that electronic correlations result in a non-monotonic population of the mobile band, which can account for the experimental behaviour of the normal transport properties and the superconducting dome.

Polarity-tunable magnetic tunnel junctions based on ferromagnetism at oxide heterointerfaces

Complex oxide systems have attracted considerable attention because of their fascinating properties, including the magnetic ordering at the conducting interface between two band insulators, such as LaAlO₃ and SrTiO₃. However, the manipulation of the spin degree of freedom at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ heterointerface has remained elusive. Here, we have fabricated hybrid magnetic tunnel junctions consisting of Co and LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ ferromagnets with the insertion of a Ti layer in between, which clearly exhibit magnetic switching and the tunnelling magnetoresistance effect below 10 K. The magnitude and sign of the tunnelling magnetoresistance are strongly dependent on the direction of the rotational magnetic field parallel to the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ plane, which is attributed to a strong Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling in the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ heterostructure. Our study provides a further support for the existence of the macroscopic ferromagnetism at LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ heterointerfaces and opens a novel route to realize interfacial spintronics devices.

The interface between two insulating oxides can play host to magnetic ordering. Here, the authors manipulate the spin transport in a hybrid magnetic tunnel junction comprising two ferromagnets: one a cobalt layer and the other the interface between lanthanum aluminate and strontium titanate.

Field-effect control of superconductivity and Rashba spin-orbit coupling in top-gated LaAlO3/SrTiO3 devices

The recent development in the fabrication of artificial oxide heterostructures opens new avenues in the field of quantum materials by enabling the manipulation of the charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom. In this context, the discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2-DEGs) at LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interfaces, which exhibit both superconductivity and strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC), represents a major breakthrough. Here, we report on the realisation of a field-effect LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ device, whose physical properties, including superconductivity and SOC, can be tuned over a wide range by a top-gate voltage. We derive a phase diagram, which emphasises a field-effect-induced superconductor-to-insulator quantum phase transition. Magneto-transport measurements show that the Rashba coupling constant increases linearly with the interfacial electric field. Our results pave the way for the realisation of mesoscopic devices, where these two properties can be manipulated on a local scale by means of top-gates.

Electron confinement at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

Physical and structural phenomena originating from polar discontinuities have generated enormous activity. In the last ten years, the oxide interface between polar LaAlO(3) and non-polar SrTiO(3), both band insulators, has attracted particular interest, as it hosts an electron liquid with remarkable properties: it superconducts, has a sizeable spin-orbit interaction and its properties are tunable by an electric field. The profile of the carrier density at the interface and the exact band structure are properties strongly linked and still objects of debate. Here we review the experimental findings on the origin and the extension of the electron liquid and discuss the theoretical models developed to describe the charge profile and the band structure. We also introduce a model to account for the effect of interface disorder which could modify the charge distribution.

Crystal-Orientation-Modulated Exchange Bias in Orthorhombic-YMnO3/La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 Multiferroic Heterostructures

The magnetic properties of the all-oxide multiferroic heterostructures composed of orthorhombic YMnO3 (YMO) with E-type antiferromagnetic and double-exchange ferromagnetic (FM) La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 (LSMO) were studied. An orientation-modulated exchange bias effect, which is related to the interfacial Mn-O-Mn bond angle, was discovered. Because of the large bond angle in YMO/LSMO(100) heterostructures, a strong exchange coupling at the interface is formed. This strong exchange coupling sustains an FM phase in YMO at the interface region. The FM phase with strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy contributes to the vertical shift and exchange bias effect in (100) orientation heterostructures. When LSMO (110) and (111) were layered with YMO, the Mn-O-Mn bond angle was reduced, leading to a weakened exchange coupling at the interface, and only a relatively small exchange bias at low temperatures was visible.

Electron-phonon Coupling and the Superconducting Phase Diagram of the LaAlO3-SrTiO3 Interface

The superconductor at the LaAlO₃—SrTiO₃ interface provides a model system for the study of two-dimensional superconductivity in the dilute carrier density limit. Here we experimentally address the pairing mechanism in this superconductor. We extract the electron—phonon spectral function from tunneling spectra and conclude, without ruling out contributions of further pairing channels, that electron—phonon mediated pairing is strong enough to account for the superconducting critical temperatures. Furthermore, we discuss the electron—phonon coupling in relation to the superconducting phase diagram. The electron—phonon spectral function is independent of the carrier density, except for a small part of the phase diagram in the underdoped region. The tunneling measurements reveal that the increase of the chemical potential with increasing carrier density levels off and is zero in the overdoped region of the phase diagram. This indicates that the additionally induced carriers do not populate the band that hosts the superconducting state and that the superconducting order parameter therefore is weakened by the presence of charge carriers in another band.

Giant Negative Magnetoresistance Driven by Spin-Orbit Coupling at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Interface

The LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface hosts a two-dimensional electron system that is unusually sensitive to the application of an in-plane magnetic field. Low-temperature experiments have revealed a giant negative magnetoresistance (dropping by 70%), attributed to a magnetic-field induced transition between interacting phases of conduction electrons with Kondo-screened magnetic impurities. Here we report on experiments over a broad temperature range, showing the persistence of the magnetoresistance up to the 20 K range--indicative of a single-particle mechanism. Motivated by a striking correspondence between the temperature and carrier density dependence of our magnetoresistance measurements we propose an alternative explanation. Working in the framework of semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory we demonstrate that the combination of spin-orbit coupling and scattering from finite-range impurities can explain the observed magnitude of the negative magnetoresistance, as well as the temperature and electron density dependence.

Nanoscale electrostatic control of oxide interfaces

We develop a robust and versatile platform to define nanostructures at oxide interfaces via patterned top gates. Using LaAlO3/SrTiO3 as a model system, we demonstrate controllable electrostatic confinement of electrons to nanoscale regions in the conducting interface. The excellent gate response, ultralow leakage currents, and long-term stability of these gates allow us to perform a variety of studies in different device geometries from room temperature down to 50 mK. Using a split-gate device we demonstrate the formation of a narrow conducting channel whose width can be controllably reduced via the application of appropriate gate voltages. We also show that a single narrow gate can be used to induce locally a superconducting to insulating transition. Furthermore, in the superconducting regime we see indications of a gate-voltage controlled Josephson effect.

Enhanced spin-orbit coupling and charge carrier density suppression in LaAl1-xCrxO3/SrTiO3 hetero-interfaces

We report a gradual suppression of the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the LaAlO(3)/SrTiO(3) interface on substitution of chromium at the Al sites. The sheet carrier density at the interface (n□) drops monotonically from ∼2.2 × 10(14) cm(-2) to ∼2.5 × 10(13) cm(-2) on replacing ≈60% of the Al sites by Cr and the sheet resistance (R□) exceeds the quantum limit for localization (h/2e(2)) in the concentrating range 40-60% of Cr. The samples with Cr ⩽40% show a distinct minimum (T(m)) in metallic R□(T) whose position shifts to higher temperatures on increasing the substitution. Distinct signatures of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) induced magnetoresistance (MR) are seen in R□ measured in out of plane field (H⊥) geometry at T ⩽ 8 K. Analysis of these data in the framework of Maekawa-Fukuyama theory allows extraction of the SOI critical field (H(SO)) and time scale (τ(SO)) whose evolution with Cr concentration is similar as with the increasing negative gate voltage in LAO/STO interface. The MR in the temperature range 8 K ⩽ T ⩽ T(m) is quadratic in the field with a +ve sign for H⊥ and -ve sign for H∥. The behaviour of H∥ MR is consistent with Kondo theory which in the present case is renormalized by the strong Rashba SOI at T < 8 K.

Giant oscillating thermopower at oxide interfaces

Understanding the nature of charge carriers at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface is one of the major open issues in the full comprehension of the charge confinement phenomenon in oxide heterostructures. Here, we investigate thermopower to study the electronic structure in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 at low temperature as a function of gate field. In particular, under large negative gate voltage, corresponding to the strongly depleted charge density regime, thermopower displays high negative values of the order of 10(4)-10(5) μVK(-1), oscillating at regular intervals as a function of the gate voltage. The huge thermopower magnitude can be attributed to the phonon-drag contribution, while the oscillations map the progressive depletion and the Fermi level descent across a dense array of localized states lying at the bottom of the Ti 3d conduction band. This study provides direct evidence of a localized Anderson tail in the two-dimensional electron liquid at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface.

Engineering two-dimensional superconductivity and Rashba spin-orbit coupling in LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ quantum wells by selective orbital occupancy

The discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at oxide interfaces-involving electrons in narrow d-bands-has broken new ground, enabling the access to correlated states that are unreachable in conventional semiconductors based on s- and p- electrons. There is a growing consensus that emerging properties at these novel quantum wells-such as 2D superconductivity and magnetism-are intimately connected to specific orbital symmetries in the 2DEG sub-band structure. Here we show that crystal orientation allows selective orbital occupancy, disclosing unprecedented ways to tailor the 2DEG properties. By carrying out electrostatic gating experiments in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 wells of different crystal orientations, we show that the spatial extension and anisotropy of the 2D superconductivity and the Rashba spin-orbit field can be largely modulated by controlling the 2DEG sub-band filling. Such an orientational tuning expands the possibilities for electronic engineering of 2DEGs at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces.

Giant spin splitting of the two-dimensional electron gas at the surface of SrTiO3

Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) forming at the interfaces of transition metal oxides exhibit a range of properties, including tunable insulator-superconductor-metal transitions, large magnetoresistance, coexisting ferromagnetism and superconductivity, and a spin splitting of a few meV (refs 10, 11). Strontium titanate (SrTiO3), the cornerstone of such oxide-based electronics, is a transparent, non-magnetic, wide-bandgap insulator in the bulk, and has recently been found to host a surface 2DEG (refs 12-15). The most strongly confined carriers within this 2DEG comprise two subbands, separated by an energy gap of 90 meV and forming concentric circular Fermi surfaces. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (SARPES), we show that the electron spins in these subbands have opposite chiralities. Although the Rashba effect might be expected to give rise to such spin textures, the giant splitting of almost 100 meV at the Fermi level is far larger than anticipated. Moreover, in contrast to a simple Rashba system, the spin-polarized subbands are non-degenerate at the Brillouin zone centre. This degeneracy can be lifted by time-reversal symmetry breaking, implying the possible existence of magnetic order. These results show that confined electronic states at oxide surfaces can be endowed with novel, non-trivial properties that are both theoretically challenging to anticipate and promising for technological applications.

Visible-light-enhanced gating effect at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface

Electrostatic gating field and light illumination are two widely used stimuli for semiconductor devices. Via capacitive effect, a gate field modifies the carrier density of the devices, while illumination generates extra carriers by exciting trapped electrons. Here we report an unusual illumination-enhanced gating effect in a two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, which has been the focus of emergent phenomena exploration. We find that light illumination decreases, rather than increases, the carrier density of the gas when the interface is negatively gated through the SrTiO3 layer, and the density drop can be 20 times as large as that caused by the conventional capacitive effect. This effect is further found to stem from an illumination-accelerated interface polarization, an originally extremely slow process. This unusual effect provides a promising controlling of the correlated oxide electronics in which a much larger gating capacity is demanding due to their intrinsic larger carrier density.

Nanoscale lithography of LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ wires using silicon stencil masks

We have developed a process to fabricate low-stress, fully crystalline silicon nanostencils, based on ion irradiation and the electrochemical anodization of p-type silicon. These nanostencils can be patterned with arbitrary feature shapes with openings hundreds of micrometers wide connected to long channels of less than 100 nm in width. These nanostencils have been used to deposit (2.5 μm- to 150 nm-wide) lines of LaAlO3 (LAO) on a SrTiO3 (STO) substrate, forming a confined electron layer at the interface arising from oxygen vacancies on the STO surface. Electrical characterization of the transport properties of the resulting LAO/STO nanowires exhibited a large electric field effect through back-gating using the STO as the dielectric, demonstrating electron confinement. Stencil lithography incorporating multiple feature sizes in a single mask shows great potential for future development of oxide electronics.

Limit of the electrostatic doping in two-dimensional electron gases of LaXO₃(X = Al, Ti)/SrTiO₃

In LaTiO₃/SrTiO₃ and LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ heterostructures, the bending of the SrTiO₃ conduction band at the interface forms a quantum well that contains a superconducting two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG). Its carrier density and electronic properties, such as superconductivity and Rashba spin-orbit coupling can be controlled by electrostatic gating. In this article we show that the Fermi energy lies intrinsically near the top of the quantum well. Beyond a filling threshold, electrons added by electrostatic gating escape from the well, hence limiting the possibility to reach a highly-doped regime. This leads to an irreversible doping regime where all the electronic properties of the 2-DEG, such as its resistivity and its superconducting transition temperature, saturate. The escape mechanism can be described by the simple analytical model we propose.

Nonvolatile resistance switching on two-dimensional electron gas

Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the complex oxide interfaces have brought about considerable interest for the application of the next-generation multifunctional oxide electronics due to the exotic properties that do not exist in the bulk. In this study, we report the integration of 2DEG into the nonvolatile resistance switching cell as a bottom electrode, where the metal-insulator transition of 2DEG by an external field serves to significantly reduce the OFF-state leakage current while enhancing the on/off ratio. Using the Pt/Ta2O5-y/Ta2O5-x/SrTiO3 heterostructure as a model system, we demonstrate the nonvolatile resistance switching memory cell with a large on/off ratio (>10(6)) and a low leakage current at the OFF state (∼10(-13) A). Beyond exploring nonvolatile memory, our work also provides an excellent framework for exploring the fundamental understanding of novel physics in which electronic and ionic processes are coupled in the complex heterostructures.

Quantum critical behaviour in confined SrTiO3 quantum wells embedded in antiferromagnetic SmTiO3

Quantum phase transitions are driven by quantum fluctuations that alter the nature of the electronic quasiparticles, resulting in phenomena such as non-Fermi liquid behaviour. Oxide heterostructures offer fundamentally new ways of manipulating quantum criticality. Here, we report on non-Fermi liquid behaviour in thin SrTiO3 quantum wells that are embedded in insulating, antiferromagnetic SmTiO3, as a function of temperature, quantum well thickness and SmTiO3 layer thickness in superlattices. Such quantum wells contain very high sheet carrier densities on the order of one electron per pseudocubic planar unit cell. We show that the quantum well thickness is a tuning parameter for non-Fermi liquid behaviour. Increasing the thickness by a single atomic layer and coupling in superlattices recover the Fermi liquid behaviour. The critical exponents, the symmetry of the order parameter, the role of carrier densities and symmetry-lowering distortions are discussed, and the results are compared with those of quantum wells embedded in ferrimagnetic GdTiO3.

Spin-orbit-coupled superconductivity

Superconductivity and spin-orbit (SO) interaction have been two separate emerging fields until very recently that the correlation between them seemed to be observed. However, previous experiments concerning SO coupling are performed far beyond the superconducting state and thus a direct demonstration of how SO coupling affects superconductivity remains elusive. Here we investigate the SO coupling in the critical region of superconducting transition on Al nanofilms, in which the strength of disorder and spin relaxation by SO coupling are changed by varying the film thickness. At temperatures T sufficiently above the superconducting critical temperature T(c), clear signature of SO coupling reveals itself in showing a magneto-resistivity peak. When T < T(c), the resistivity peak can still be observed; however, its line-shape is now affected by the onset of the quasi two-dimensional superconductivity. By studying such magneto-resistivity peaks under different strength of spin relaxation, we highlight the important effects of SO interaction on superconductivity.

One-dimensional quantum wire formed at the boundary between two insulating LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces

We grow a tiled structure of insulating two-dimensional LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces composed of alternating one and three LaAlO3 unit cells. The boundary between two tiles is conducting. At low temperatures this conductance exhibits quantized steps as a function of gate voltage indicative of a one-dimensional channel. The step size of half the quantum of conductance is evidence for the absence of spin degeneracy.

Spirals and Skyrmions in two dimensional oxide heterostructures

We construct the general free energy governing long-wavelength magnetism in two dimensional oxide heterostructures, which applies irrespective of the microscopic mechanism for magnetism. This leads, in the relevant regime of weak but non-negligible spin-orbit coupling, to a rich phase diagram containing in-plane ferromagnetic, spiral, cone, and Skyrmion lattice phases, as well as a nematic state stabilized by thermal fluctuations.

Two-dimensional electron gas with six-fold symmetry at the (111) surface of KTaO3

Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at transition-metal oxide (TMO) interfaces, and boundary states in topological insulators, are being intensively investigated. The former system harbors superconductivity, large magneto-resistance, and ferromagnetism. In the latter, honeycomb-lattice geometry plus bulk spin-orbit interactions lead to topologically protected spin-polarized bands. 2DEGs in TMOs with a honeycomb-like structure could yield new states of matter, but they had not been experimentally realized, yet. We successfully created a 2DEG at the (111) surface of KTaO3, a strong insulator with large spin-orbit coupling. Its confined states form a network of weakly-dispersing electronic gutters with 6-fold symmetry, a topology novel to all known oxide-based 2DEGs. If those pertain to just one Ta-(111) bilayer, model calculations predict that it can be a topological metal. Our findings demonstrate that completely new electronic states, with symmetries not realized in the bulk, can be tailored in oxide surfaces, promising for TMO-based devices.

Anisotropic two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ (110) interface

The observation of a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas between two insulating complex oxides, especially LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃, has enhanced the potential of oxides for electronics. The occurrence of this conductivity is believed to be driven by polarization discontinuity, leading to an electronic reconstruction. In this scenario, the crystal orientation has an important role and no conductivity would be expected, for example, for the interface between LaAlO₃ and (110)-oriented SrTiO₃, which should not have a polarization discontinuity. Here we report the observation of unexpected conductivity at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface prepared on (110)-oriented SrTiO₃, with a LaAlO₃-layer thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition. Density functional theory calculation reveals that electronic reconstruction, and thus conductivity, is still possible at this (110) interface by considering the energetically favourable (110) interface structure, that is, buckled TiO₂/LaO, in which the polarization discontinuity is still present. The conductivity was further found to be strongly anisotropic along the different crystallographic directions with potential for anisotropic superconductivity and magnetism, leading to possible new physics and applications.

Although LaAlO₃ and SrTiO₃ are both insulators, when they are brought together at a (100) interface, a highly conducting two-dimensional electron gas forms between them. Annandi et al. show that this also happens at a (110) interface, counter to expectations that it should not.