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arXiv · 2002.10555

Coupling lattice instabilities across the interface in ultrathin oxide heterostructures

T. C. van Thiel·J. Fowlie·C. Autieri·N. Manca·M. Šiškins·D. Afanasiev·S. Gariglio·A. D. Caviglia
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Abstract

Oxide heterointerfaces constitute a rich platform for realizing novel functionalities in condensed matter. A key aspect is the strong link between structural and electronic properties, which can be modified by interfacing materials with distinct lattice symmetries. Here we determine the effect of the cubic-tetragonal distortion of $\text{SrTiO}_3$ on the electronic properties of thin films of $\text{SrIrO}_3$, a topological crystalline metal hosting a delicate interplay between spin-orbit coupling and electronic correlations. We demonstrate that below the transition temperature at 105 K, $\text{SrIrO}_3$ orthorhombic domains couple directly to tetragonal domains in $\text{SrTiO}_3$. This forces the in-phase rotational axis to lie in-plane and creates a binary domain structure in the $\text{SrIrO}_3$ film. The close proximity to the metal-insulator transition in ultrathin $\text{SrIrO}_3$ causes the individual domains to have strongly anisotropic transport properties, driven by a reduction of bandwidth along the in-phase axis. The strong structure-property relationships in perovskites make these compounds particularly suitable for static and dynamic coupling at interfaces, providing a promising route towards realizing novel functionalities in oxide heterostructures.

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T. C. van Thiel, J. Fowlie, C. Autieri, N. Manca, M. Šiškins, D. Afanasiev, S. Gariglio, A. D. Caviglia. 2020-02-24. Coupling lattice instabilities across the interface in ultrathin oxide heterostructures. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.9b00540

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