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Room temperature magnetoelectric BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattices with strong out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. We show that the out-ofplane magnetization component increases with the increasing number of double layers. Moreover, the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient can be tuned by varying the number of interfaces, reaching a maximum value of 29 V/cmOe for the20×BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattice. This enhancement is accompanied by a high degree of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, making the latter an ideal candidate for the next generation of data storage devices.

High-quality lattice-matched LaNiO3/LaMnO3 superlattices with monolayer terrace structure have been grown on both (111)- and (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. In contrast to the previously reported experiments, a magnetic exchange bias is observed that reproducibly occurs in both (111)- and (001)-oriented superlattices with the thin single layers of 5 and 7 unit cells, respectively. The exchange bias is theoretically explained by charge transfer-induced magnetic moments at Ni atoms. Furthermore, magnetization data at low temperature suggest two magnetic phases in the superlattices, with Néel temperature around 10 K. Electrical transport measurements reveal a metal-insulator transition with strong localization of electrons in the superlattices with the thin LaNiO3 layers of 4 unit cells, in which the electrical transport is dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping.

A comprehensive study on growth of ferrimagnetic manganese zinc ferrite (Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) films on single crystalline strontium titanate(001) (SrTiO3) substrates was carried out. Under the optimized conditions, a thin film with a layer thickness of 200 nm was deposited, and the structural properties were investigated. Contrary to data published in literature, no buffer layer was necessary to achieve epitaxial growth of a poorly lattice-matched layer. This was confirmed for Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4(001) on SrTiO3(001) by x-ray diffraction and the adjoined phi scans, which also revealed a lattice compression of 1.2% of the manganese zinc ferrite film in the out-of-plane direction. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the near surface stoichiometry of the film could be shown to agree with the intended one within the uncertainty of the method. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed an electronic structure close to that published for bulk samples. Additional x-ray magnetic circular dichroism investigations were performed to answer detailed structural questions by a comparison of experimental data with the calculated ones. The calculations took into account ion sites (tetrahedral vs. octahedral coordination) as well as the charge of Fe ions (Fe2+ vs. Fe3+). Contrary to the expectation for a perfect normal spinel that only Fe3þ ions are present in octahedral sites, hints regarding the presence of additional Fe2+ in octahedral sites as well as Fe3+ ions in tetrahedral sites have been obtained. Altogether, the layer could be shown to be mostly in a normal spinel configuration.

Room temperature magnetoelectric BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattices with strong out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. We show that the out-ofplane magnetization component increases with the increasing number of double layers. Moreover, the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient can be tuned by varying the number of interfaces, reaching a maximum value of 29 V/cmOe for the20×BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattice. This enhancement is accompanied by a high degree of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, making the latter an ideal candidate for the next generation of data storage devices.

A comprehensive study on growth of ferrimagnetic manganese zinc ferrite (Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) films on single crystalline strontium titanate(001) (SrTiO3) substrates was carried out. Under the optimized conditions, a thin film with a layer thickness of 200 nm was deposited, and the structural properties were investigated. Contrary to data published in literature, no buffer layer was necessary to achieve epitaxial growth of a poorly lattice-matched layer. This was confirmed for Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4(001) on SrTiO3(001) by x-ray diffraction and the adjoined phi scans, which also revealed a lattice compression of 1.2% of the manganese zinc ferrite film in the out-of-plane direction. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the near surface stoichiometry of the film could be shown to agree with the intended one within the uncertainty of the method. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed an electronic structure close to that published for bulk samples. Additional x-ray magnetic circular dichroism investigations were performed to answer detailed structural questions by a comparison of experimental data with the calculated ones. The calculations took into account ion sites (tetrahedral vs. octahedral coordination) as well as the charge of Fe ions (Fe2+ vs. Fe3+). Contrary to the expectation for a perfect normal spinel that only Fe3þ ions are present in octahedral sites, hints regarding the presence of additional Fe2+ in octahedral sites as well as Fe3+ ions in tetrahedral sites have been obtained. Altogether, the layer could be shown to be mostly in a normal spinel configuration.

High-quality lattice-matched LaNiO3/LaMnO3 superlattices with monolayer terrace structure have been grown on both (111)- and (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. In contrast to the previously reported experiments, a magnetic exchange bias is observed that reproducibly occurs in both (111)- and (001)-oriented superlattices with the thin single layers of 5 and 7 unit cells, respectively. The exchange bias is theoretically explained by charge transfer-induced magnetic moments at Ni atoms. Furthermore, magnetization data at low temperature suggest two magnetic phases in the superlattices, with Néel temperature around 10 K. Electrical transport measurements reveal a metal-insulator transition with strong localization of electrons in the superlattices with the thin LaNiO3 layers of 4 unit cells, in which the electrical transport is dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping.

Room temperature magnetoelectric BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattices with strong out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. We show that the out-ofplane magnetization component increases with the increasing number of double layers. Moreover, the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient can be tuned by varying the number of interfaces, reaching a maximum value of 29 V/cmOe for the20×BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattice. This enhancement is accompanied by a high degree of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, making the latter an ideal candidate for the next generation of data storage devices.

A comprehensive study on growth of ferrimagnetic manganese zinc ferrite (Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) films on single crystalline strontium titanate(001) (SrTiO3) substrates was carried out. Under the optimized conditions, a thin film with a layer thickness of 200 nm was deposited, and the structural properties were investigated. Contrary to data published in literature, no buffer layer was necessary to achieve epitaxial growth of a poorly lattice-matched layer. This was confirmed for Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4(001) on SrTiO3(001) by x-ray diffraction and the adjoined phi scans, which also revealed a lattice compression of 1.2% of the manganese zinc ferrite film in the out-of-plane direction. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the near surface stoichiometry of the film could be shown to agree with the intended one within the uncertainty of the method. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed an electronic structure close to that published for bulk samples. Additional x-ray magnetic circular dichroism investigations were performed to answer detailed structural questions by a comparison of experimental data with the calculated ones. The calculations took into account ion sites (tetrahedral vs. octahedral coordination) as well as the charge of Fe ions (Fe2+ vs. Fe3+). Contrary to the expectation for a perfect normal spinel that only Fe3þ ions are present in octahedral sites, hints regarding the presence of additional Fe2+ in octahedral sites as well as Fe3+ ions in tetrahedral sites have been obtained. Altogether, the layer could be shown to be mostly in a normal spinel configuration.

High-quality lattice-matched LaNiO3/LaMnO3 superlattices with monolayer terrace structure have been grown on both (111)- and (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. In contrast to the previously reported experiments, a magnetic exchange bias is observed that reproducibly occurs in both (111)- and (001)-oriented superlattices with the thin single layers of 5 and 7 unit cells, respectively. The exchange bias is theoretically explained by charge transfer-induced magnetic moments at Ni atoms. Furthermore, magnetization data at low temperature suggest two magnetic phases in the superlattices, with Néel temperature around 10 K. Electrical transport measurements reveal a metal-insulator transition with strong localization of electrons in the superlattices with the thin LaNiO3 layers of 4 unit cells, in which the electrical transport is dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping.

Room temperature magnetoelectric BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattices with strong out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition. We show that the out-ofplane magnetization component increases with the increasing number of double layers. Moreover, the magnetoelectric voltage coefficient can be tuned by varying the number of interfaces, reaching a maximum value of 29 V/cmOe for the20×BiFeO3-BaTiO3 superlattice. This enhancement is accompanied by a high degree of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, making the latter an ideal candidate for the next generation of data storage devices.

High-quality lattice-matched LaNiO3/LaMnO3 superlattices with monolayer terrace structure have been grown on both (111)- and (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. In contrast to the previously reported experiments, a magnetic exchange bias is observed that reproducibly occurs in both (111)- and (001)-oriented superlattices with the thin single layers of 5 and 7 unit cells, respectively. The exchange bias is theoretically explained by charge transfer-induced magnetic moments at Ni atoms. Furthermore, magnetization data at low temperature suggest two magnetic phases in the superlattices, with Néel temperature around 10 K. Electrical transport measurements reveal a metal-insulator transition with strong localization of electrons in the superlattices with the thin LaNiO3 layers of 4 unit cells, in which the electrical transport is dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping.

A comprehensive study on growth of ferrimagnetic manganese zinc ferrite (Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) films on single crystalline strontium titanate(001) (SrTiO3) substrates was carried out. Under the optimized conditions, a thin film with a layer thickness of 200 nm was deposited, and the structural properties were investigated. Contrary to data published in literature, no buffer layer was necessary to achieve epitaxial growth of a poorly lattice-matched layer. This was confirmed for Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4(001) on SrTiO3(001) by x-ray diffraction and the adjoined phi scans, which also revealed a lattice compression of 1.2% of the manganese zinc ferrite film in the out-of-plane direction. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the near surface stoichiometry of the film could be shown to agree with the intended one within the uncertainty of the method. X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed an electronic structure close to that published for bulk samples. Additional x-ray magnetic circular dichroism investigations were performed to answer detailed structural questions by a comparison of experimental data with the calculated ones. The calculations took into account ion sites (tetrahedral vs. octahedral coordination) as well as the charge of Fe ions (Fe2+ vs. Fe3+). Contrary to the expectation for a perfect normal spinel that only Fe3þ ions are present in octahedral sites, hints regarding the presence of additional Fe2+ in octahedral sites as well as Fe3+ ions in tetrahedral sites have been obtained. Altogether, the layer could be shown to be mostly in a normal spinel configuration.

We studied the doping efficiency of Al and Ga dopants in (Mg,Zn)O alloys as a function of the growth temperature and post growth annealing times. High-temperature growth results in the highest structural quality and highest electron mobility; the doping efficiency is limited by the dopant’s solubility. It was investigated in detail that a low growth temperature is needed to achieve free carrier densities above the solubility limit of the dopants. Samples grown at temperatures of 300 °C and below have a free carrier density significantly above the solubility limit yielding the minimum resistivity of ρmin=4.8×10−4 Ω cm for Mg0.05Zn0.95O: Al thin films grown on glass at 300 °C. Annealing of these samples reduces the free carrier density and the absorption edge to values similar to those of samples grown at high temperatures. The saturation of the free carrier density and the optical bandgap at their high temperature growth/annealing values is explained by the thermal creation of acceptor-like compensating defects in thermodynamic equilibrium.

The dielectric function of heteroepitaxial YBiO3 grown on a-Al2O3 single crystals via pulsed laser deposition is determined in the spectral range from 0.03 eV to 4.5 eV by a simultaneous modeling of the spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical transmission data of YBiO3 films of different thicknesses. The (111)-oriented YBiO3 films are nominally unstrained and crystallize in a defective fluorite-type structure with a Fm3⎯⎯m space group. From the calculated absorption spectrum, a direct electronic bandgap energy of 3.6(1) eV and the signature of an indirect electronic transition around 0.5 eV are obtained. These values provide necessary experimental feedback to previous conflicting electronic band structure calculations predicting either a topologically trivial or a non-trivial insulating ground state in YBiO3.

The dielectric function of heteroepitaxial YBiO3 grown on a-Al2O3 single crystals via pulsed laser deposition is determined in the spectral range from 0.03 eV to 4.5 eV by a simultaneous modeling of the spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical transmission data of YBiO3 films of different thicknesses. The (111)-oriented YBiO3 films are nominally unstrained and crystallize in a defective fluorite-type structure with a Fm3⎯⎯m space group. From the calculated absorption spectrum, a direct electronic bandgap energy of 3.6(1) eV and the signature of an indirect electronic transition around 0.5 eV are obtained. These values provide necessary experimental feedback to previous conflicting electronic band structure calculations predicting either a topologically trivial or a non-trivial insulating ground state in YBiO3.

We studied the doping efficiency of Al and Ga dopants in (Mg,Zn)O alloys as a function of the growth temperature and post growth annealing times. High-temperature growth results in the highest structural quality and highest electron mobility; the doping efficiency is limited by the dopant’s solubility. It was investigated in detail that a low growth temperature is needed to achieve free carrier densities above the solubility limit of the dopants. Samples grown at temperatures of 300 °C and below have a free carrier density significantly above the solubility limit yielding the minimum resistivity of ρmin=4.8×10−4 Ω cm for Mg0.05Zn0.95O: Al thin films grown on glass at 300 °C. Annealing of these samples reduces the free carrier density and the absorption edge to values similar to those of samples grown at high temperatures. The saturation of the free carrier density and the optical bandgap at their high temperature growth/annealing values is explained by the thermal creation of acceptor-like compensating defects in thermodynamic equilibrium.

Recently, topological conductivity has been predicted theoretically in LaNiO3(111)-based superlattices. Here we report high-quality epitaxial LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single crystals. For both substrates a metal-insulator transition with decreasing number of LaNiO3 monolayers is found. While the electrical transport is dominated by twodimensional variable range hopping for superlattices grown on polar mismatched SrTiO3(111), it switches to a thermally activated single gap behavior on polar matched LaAlO3(111). The gap energy of the polar double-layer LaNiO3 superlattices can be tuned via the thickness of the insulating LaAlO3 layers.

UV and deep-UV selective photodiodes from visible-blind to solar-blind were realized based on a Si-doped (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin film with a monotonic lateral variation of 0.0035

Recently, topological conductivity has been predicted theoretically in LaNiO3(111)-based superlattices. Here we report high-quality epitaxial LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single crystals. For both substrates a metal-insulator transition with decreasing number of LaNiO3 monolayers is found. While the electrical transport is dominated by twodimensional variable range hopping for superlattices grown on polar mismatched SrTiO3(111), it switches to a thermally activated single gap behavior on polar matched LaAlO3(111). The gap energy of the polar double-layer LaNiO3 superlattices can be tuned via the thickness of the insulating LaAlO3 layers.

UV and deep-UV selective photodiodes from visible-blind to solar-blind were realized based on a Si-doped (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin film with a monotonic lateral variation of 0.0035

UV and deep-UV selective photodiodes from visible-blind to solar-blind were realized based on a Si-doped (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin film with a monotonic lateral variation of 0.0035

Recently, topological conductivity has been predicted theoretically in LaNiO3(111)-based superlattices. Here we report high-quality epitaxial LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single crystals. For both substrates a metal-insulator transition with decreasing number of LaNiO3 monolayers is found. While the electrical transport is dominated by twodimensional variable range hopping for superlattices grown on polar mismatched SrTiO3(111), it switches to a thermally activated single gap behavior on polar matched LaAlO3(111). The gap energy of the polar double-layer LaNiO3 superlattices can be tuned via the thickness of the insulating LaAlO3 layers.

Recently, topological conductivity has been predicted theoretically in LaNiO3(111)-based superlattices. Here we report high-quality epitaxial LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices on (111)-oriented SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single crystals. For both substrates a metal-insulator transition with decreasing number of LaNiO3 monolayers is found. While the electrical transport is dominated by twodimensional variable range hopping for superlattices grown on polar mismatched SrTiO3(111), it switches to a thermally activated single gap behavior on polar matched LaAlO3(111). The gap energy of the polar double-layer LaNiO3 superlattices can be tuned via the thickness of the insulating LaAlO3 layers.

UV and deep-UV selective photodiodes from visible-blind to solar-blind were realized based on a Si-doped (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin film with a monotonic lateral variation of 0.0035

We present X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy investigations of a (100)-oriented (AlxGa1–x)2O3 thin film on MgO (100) and bulk-like ceramics in dependence on their composition. The thin film grown by pulsed laser deposition has a continuous lateral composition spread allowing to determine precisely the dependence of the phonon mode properties and lattice parameters on the chemical composition. For x<0.4, we observe the single-phase b-modification. Its lattice parameters and phonon energies depend linearly on the composition. We determined the slopes of these dependencies for the individual lattice parameters and for nine Raman lines, respectively. While the lattice parameters of the ceramics follow Vegard’s rule, deviations are observed for the thin film. This deviation has only a small effect on the phonon energies, which show a reasonably good agreement between thin film and ceramics.

We determined the dielectric function of the alloy system (AlxGa1−x)2O3 by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the wide spectral range from 0.5 eV to 8.5 eV and for Al contents ranging from x = 0.11 to x = 0.55. For the composition range x<0.4, we observe single phase material in the b-modification and for larger Al content also the occurrence of γ-(Al,Ga)2O3. We derived spectra of the refractive index and the absorption coefficient as well as energy parameters of electronic bandband transitions by model analysis of the dielectric function. The dependence of the dielectric functions lineshape and the energy parameters on x is highly continuous, reflecting theoretical expectations. The data presented here provide a basis for a deeper understanding of the electronic properties of this material system and may be useful for device engineering.

Multiferroic (BaTiO3-BiFeO3) × 15 multilayer heterostructures show high magnetoelectric (ME) coefficients aME up to αME up to 24 V/cm·Oe at 300 K. This value is much higher than that of a single-phase BiFeO3 reference film (αME = 4.2 V/cm·Oe). We found clear correlation of ME coefficients with increasing oxygen partial pressure during growth. ME coupling is highest for lower density of oxygen vacancy-related defects. Detailed scanning transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction microstructural investigations at 300K revealed antiphase rotations of the oxygen octahedra in the BaTiO3 single layers, which are an additional correlated defect structure of the multilayers.

We determined the dielectric function of the alloy system (AlxGa1−x)2O3 by spectroscopic ellipsometry in the wide spectral range from 0.5 eV to 8.5 eV and for Al contents ranging from x = 0.11 to x = 0.55. For the composition range x<0.4, we observe single phase material in the b-modification and for larger Al content also the occurrence of γ-(Al,Ga)2O3. We derived spectra of the refractive index and the absorption coefficient as well as energy parameters of electronic bandband transitions by model analysis of the dielectric function. The dependence of the dielectric functions lineshape and the energy parameters on x is highly continuous, reflecting theoretical expectations. The data presented here provide a basis for a deeper understanding of the electronic properties of this material system and may be useful for device engineering.

Multiferroic (BaTiO3-BiFeO3) × 15 multilayer heterostructures show high magnetoelectric (ME) coefficients aME up to αME up to 24 V/cm·Oe at 300 K. This value is much higher than that of a single-phase BiFeO3 reference film (αME = 4.2 V/cm·Oe). We found clear correlation of ME coefficients with increasing oxygen partial pressure during growth. ME coupling is highest for lower density of oxygen vacancy-related defects. Detailed scanning transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction microstructural investigations at 300K revealed antiphase rotations of the oxygen octahedra in the BaTiO3 single layers, which are an additional correlated defect structure of the multilayers.

We present X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy investigations of a (100)-oriented (AlxGa1–x)2O3 thin film on MgO (100) and bulk-like ceramics in dependence on their composition. The thin film grown by pulsed laser deposition has a continuous lateral composition spread allowing to determine precisely the dependence of the phonon mode properties and lattice parameters on the chemical composition. For x<0.4, we observe the single-phase b-modification. Its lattice parameters and phonon energies depend linearly on the composition. We determined the slopes of these dependencies for the individual lattice parameters and for nine Raman lines, respectively. While the lattice parameters of the ceramics follow Vegard’s rule, deviations are observed for the thin film. This deviation has only a small effect on the phonon energies, which show a reasonably good agreement between thin film and ceramics.

Thin films are a prerequisite for application of the emergent exotic ground states in iridates that result from the interplay of strong spin-orbit coupling and electronic correlations. We report on pulsed laser deposition of Li2IrO3 films on ZrO2:Y (001) single crystalline substrates. X-ray diffraction confirms preferential (001) and (10-1) out-of-plane crystalline orientations with well defined in-plane orientation. Resistivity between 35 and 300K is dominated by a three-dimensional variable range hopping mechanism. The dielectric function is determined by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry and, complemented by Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy, reveals a small optical gap of ≈300 meV, a splitting of the 5d-t2g manifold, and several in-gap excitations attributed to phonons and possibly magnons.

Magnetic spin structures in epitaxial BiFeO3 single layer and an epitaxial BaTiO3/BiFeO3 multilayer thin film have been studied by means of nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation. We demonstrate a spin reorientation in the 15 x[BaTiO3/BiFeO3] multilayer compared to the single BiFeO3 thin film. Where as in the BiFeO3 film, the net magnetic moment m→ lies in the (1–10) plane, identical to the bulk, m→ in the multilayer points to different polar and azimuthal directions. This spin reorientation indicates that strain and interfaces play a significant role in tuning the magnetic spin order. Furthermore, large difference in the magnetic field dependence of the magnetoelectric coefficient observed between the BiFeO3 single layer and multilayer can be associated with this magnetic spin reorientation.

A dimensionality controlled metal insulator transition in epitaxial [LaNiO3 (d nm)/LaAlO3(2nm)]10 (100) superlattices (thereafter [d/2]10 SLs) is demonstrated for decreasing LaNiO3 single layer thickness from 4nm down to 1.2 nm. The [4/2]10 SL shows metallic behavior with positive resistivity temperature coefficient, while the [2/2]10 SL shows a metal-insulator transition with crossover from 3D to two-dimensional single-layer dimensionality. Strong localization appears for the [1.2/2]10 SL with the resistivity being dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping with a localization length of about 0.035 nm.

Thin films are a prerequisite for application of the emergent exotic ground states in iridates that result from the interplay of strong spin-orbit coupling and electronic correlations. We report on pulsed laser deposition of Li2IrO3 films on ZrO2:Y (001) single crystalline substrates. X-ray diffraction confirms preferential (001) and (10-1) out-of-plane crystalline orientations with well defined in-plane orientation. Resistivity between 35 and 300K is dominated by a three-dimensional variable range hopping mechanism. The dielectric function is determined by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry and, complemented by Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy, reveals a small optical gap of ≈300 meV, a splitting of the 5d-t2g manifold, and several in-gap excitations attributed to phonons and possibly magnons.

A dimensionality controlled metal insulator transition in epitaxial [LaNiO3 (d nm)/LaAlO3(2nm)]10 (100) superlattices (thereafter [d/2]10 SLs) is demonstrated for decreasing LaNiO3 single layer thickness from 4nm down to 1.2 nm. The [4/2]10 SL shows metallic behavior with positive resistivity temperature coefficient, while the [2/2]10 SL shows a metal-insulator transition with crossover from 3D to two-dimensional single-layer dimensionality. Strong localization appears for the [1.2/2]10 SL with the resistivity being dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping with a localization length of about 0.035 nm.

Magnetic spin structures in epitaxial BiFeO3 single layer and an epitaxial BaTiO3/BiFeO3 multilayer thin film have been studied by means of nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation. We demonstrate a spin reorientation in the 15 x[BaTiO3/BiFeO3] multilayer compared to the single BiFeO3 thin film. Where as in the BiFeO3 film, the net magnetic moment m→ lies in the (1–10) plane, identical to the bulk, m→ in the multilayer points to different polar and azimuthal directions. This spin reorientation indicates that strain and interfaces play a significant role in tuning the magnetic spin order. Furthermore, large difference in the magnetic field dependence of the magnetoelectric coefficient observed between the BiFeO3 single layer and multilayer can be associated with this magnetic spin reorientation.

Thin films are a prerequisite for application of the emergent exotic ground states in iridates that result from the interplay of strong spin-orbit coupling and electronic correlations. We report on pulsed laser deposition of Li2IrO3 films on ZrO2:Y (001) single crystalline substrates. X-ray diffraction confirms preferential (001) and (10-1) out-of-plane crystalline orientations with well defined in-plane orientation. Resistivity between 35 and 300K is dominated by a three-dimensional variable range hopping mechanism. The dielectric function is determined by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry and, complemented by Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy, reveals a small optical gap of ≈300 meV, a splitting of the 5d-t2g manifold, and several in-gap excitations attributed to phonons and possibly magnons.

Magnetic spin structures in epitaxial BiFeO3 single layer and an epitaxial BaTiO3/BiFeO3 multilayer thin film have been studied by means of nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation. We demonstrate a spin reorientation in the 15 x[BaTiO3/BiFeO3] multilayer compared to the single BiFeO3 thin film. Where as in the BiFeO3 film, the net magnetic moment m→ lies in the (1–10) plane, identical to the bulk, m→ in the multilayer points to different polar and azimuthal directions. This spin reorientation indicates that strain and interfaces play a significant role in tuning the magnetic spin order. Furthermore, large difference in the magnetic field dependence of the magnetoelectric coefficient observed between the BiFeO3 single layer and multilayer can be associated with this magnetic spin reorientation.

A dimensionality controlled metal insulator transition in epitaxial [LaNiO3 (d nm)/LaAlO3(2nm)]10 (100) superlattices (thereafter [d/2]10 SLs) is demonstrated for decreasing LaNiO3 single layer thickness from 4nm down to 1.2 nm. The [4/2]10 SL shows metallic behavior with positive resistivity temperature coefficient, while the [2/2]10 SL shows a metal-insulator transition with crossover from 3D to two-dimensional single-layer dimensionality. Strong localization appears for the [1.2/2]10 SL with the resistivity being dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping with a localization length of about 0.035 nm.

Magnetic spin structures in epitaxial BiFeO3 single layer and an epitaxial BaTiO3/BiFeO3 multilayer thin film have been studied by means of nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation. We demonstrate a spin reorientation in the 15 x[BaTiO3/BiFeO3] multilayer compared to the single BiFeO3 thin film. Where as in the BiFeO3 film, the net magnetic moment m→ lies in the (1–10) plane, identical to the bulk, m→ in the multilayer points to different polar and azimuthal directions. This spin reorientation indicates that strain and interfaces play a significant role in tuning the magnetic spin order. Furthermore, large difference in the magnetic field dependence of the magnetoelectric coefficient observed between the BiFeO3 single layer and multilayer can be associated with this magnetic spin reorientation.

Thin films are a prerequisite for application of the emergent exotic ground states in iridates that result from the interplay of strong spin-orbit coupling and electronic correlations. We report on pulsed laser deposition of Li2IrO3 films on ZrO2:Y (001) single crystalline substrates. X-ray diffraction confirms preferential (001) and (10-1) out-of-plane crystalline orientations with well defined in-plane orientation. Resistivity between 35 and 300K is dominated by a three-dimensional variable range hopping mechanism. The dielectric function is determined by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry and, complemented by Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy, reveals a small optical gap of ≈300 meV, a splitting of the 5d-t2g manifold, and several in-gap excitations attributed to phonons and possibly magnons.

A dimensionality controlled metal insulator transition in epitaxial [LaNiO3 (d nm)/LaAlO3(2nm)]10 (100) superlattices (thereafter [d/2]10 SLs) is demonstrated for decreasing LaNiO3 single layer thickness from 4nm down to 1.2 nm. The [4/2]10 SL shows metallic behavior with positive resistivity temperature coefficient, while the [2/2]10 SL shows a metal-insulator transition with crossover from 3D to two-dimensional single-layer dimensionality. Strong localization appears for the [1.2/2]10 SL with the resistivity being dominated by two-dimensional variable range hopping with a localization length of about 0.035 nm.

Electrical transport in undoped and Ni-, Cr-, and W-doped TiO2 thin films on SrTiO3(001) is modelled either with the sum of two thermally activated processes with exponential temperature dependence of conductivity, or with the sum of three-dimensional Mott variable-range hopping (VRH) and an activated process with low activation energy. The latter is interpreted for both models as small polaron hopping (<θD/4). According to reduced chi-square values, the double activated model is superior for data of higher ordered films grown at 540 and 460 °C. For lower growth temperature, VRH plus activated conductivity fits partly better. For all dopants, n-type conductivity is observed.

Electrical transport in undoped and Ni-, Cr-, and W-doped TiO2 thin films on SrTiO3(001) is modelled either with the sum of two thermally activated processes with exponential temperature dependence of conductivity, or with the sum of three-dimensional Mott variable-range hopping (VRH) and an activated process with low activation energy. The latter is interpreted for both models as small polaron hopping (<θD/4). According to reduced chi-square values, the double activated model is superior for data of higher ordered films grown at 540 and 460 °C. For lower growth temperature, VRH plus activated conductivity fits partly better. For all dopants, n-type conductivity is observed.

We present X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy investigations of (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin films and bulk-like ceramics in dependence of their composition. The thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition have a continuous lateral composition spread allowing the determination of phonon mode properties and lattice parameters with high sensitivity to the composition from a single 2-in. wafer. In the regime of low indium concentration, the phonon energies depend linearly on the composition and show a good agreement between both sample types. We determined the slopes of these dependencies for eight different Raman modes. While the lattice parameters of the ceramics follow Vegard’s rule, deviations are observed for the thin films. Further, we found indications of the highpressure phase InGaO3 II in the thin films above a critical indium concentration, its value depending on the type of substrate.

We report on the experimental determination of the spontaneous polarization of wurtzite- (Mg,Zn)O by examination of the recombination dynamics of polar ZnO/(Mg,Zn)O quantum wells (QWs). The thickness-dependent decay time of the unscreened single-exciton states inside the QWs was modeled by a self-consistent solution of Schrödinger- and Poisson-equation to deduce the total polarization across the QW for different Mg-contents inside the barriers. By the separation of the piezoelectric components of the polarization, a linear increase in spontaneous polarization with increasing Mg-content x of P/x = (0.151 ± 0.015) C/m2 was determined for Mgx Zn1−x O.

We present X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy investigations of (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin films and bulk-like ceramics in dependence of their composition. The thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition have a continuous lateral composition spread allowing the determination of phonon mode properties and lattice parameters with high sensitivity to the composition from a single 2-in. wafer. In the regime of low indium concentration, the phonon energies depend linearly on the composition and show a good agreement between both sample types. We determined the slopes of these dependencies for eight different Raman modes. While the lattice parameters of the ceramics follow Vegard’s rule, deviations are observed for the thin films. Further, we found indications of the highpressure phase InGaO3 II in the thin films above a critical indium concentration, its value depending on the type of substrate.

We report on the experimental determination of the spontaneous polarization of wurtzite- (Mg,Zn)O by examination of the recombination dynamics of polar ZnO/(Mg,Zn)O quantum wells (QWs). The thickness-dependent decay time of the unscreened single-exciton states inside the QWs was modeled by a self-consistent solution of Schrödinger- and Poisson-equation to deduce the total polarization across the QW for different Mg-contents inside the barriers. By the separation of the piezoelectric components of the polarization, a linear increase in spontaneous polarization with increasing Mg-content x of P/x = (0.151 ± 0.015) C/m2 was determined for Mgx Zn1−x O.

We present X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy investigations of (InxGa1–x)2O3 thin films and bulk-like ceramics in dependence of their composition. The thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition have a continuous lateral composition spread allowing the determination of phonon mode properties and lattice parameters with high sensitivity to the composition from a single 2-in. wafer. In the regime of low indium concentration, the phonon energies depend linearly on the composition and show a good agreement between both sample types. We determined the slopes of these dependencies for eight different Raman modes. While the lattice parameters of the ceramics follow Vegard’s rule, deviations are observed for the thin films. Further, we found indications of the highpressure phase InGaO3 II in the thin films above a critical indium concentration, its value depending on the type of substrate.

We report on the experimental determination of the spontaneous polarization of wurtzite- (Mg,Zn)O by examination of the recombination dynamics of polar ZnO/(Mg,Zn)O quantum wells (QWs). The thickness-dependent decay time of the unscreened single-exciton states inside the QWs was modeled by a self-consistent solution of Schrödinger- and Poisson-equation to deduce the total polarization across the QW for different Mg-contents inside the barriers. By the separation of the piezoelectric components of the polarization, a linear increase in spontaneous polarization with increasing Mg-content x of P/x = (0.151 ± 0.015) C/m2 was determined for Mgx Zn1−x O.