Search

The conducting state of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas (q2DEG), formed at the heterointerface between the two wide-bandgap insulators LaAlO₃ (LAO) and SrTiO₃, can be made completely insulating by low-energy, 150-eV, Ar⁺ irradiation. The metallic behavior of the interface can be recovered by high-temperature oxygen annealing. The electrical transport properties of the recovered q2DEG are exactly the same as before the irradiation. Microstructural investigations confirm that the transition is not due to physical etching or crystal lattice distortion of the LAO film below its critical thickness. They also reveal a correlation between electrical state, LAO film surface amorphization, and argon ion implantation. The experimental results are in agreement with density functional theory calculations of Ar implantation and migration in the LAO film. This suggests that the metal-insulator transition may be caused by charge trapping in the defect amorphous layer created during the ion irradiation.

We have studied the changes in the magnetic behavior of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) samples subjected to medium-energy proton and helium irradiation. The variations of the ferromagneticlike magnetization curves with the irradiation dose have been studied for two configurations: magnetic fields parallel and perpendicular to graphitic planes. For high irradiation doses, the values of magnetization at saturation are close for both geometries. At low irradiation fluences an orientationally dependent magnetic response is obtained. Directional dependence of magnetization indicates that the magnetism in irradiated graphite is triggered by vertically aligned intrinsic carbon defects induced by irradiation. This physical picture has been verified by the observation of a local stray field near linear defects by means of magnetic force microscopy. Similar results obtained with hydrogen and helium ions confirm that the chemical nature of projectiles is not crucial for formation of ferromagnetic order in oriented graphite. The dependence of induced magnetic moment versus irradiation dose shows a maximum; the optimal dose is an order of magnitude less for helium ions than for protons, being in line with simulations showing that He+ generates 8 times more defects than H+. Raman studies indicate that the degradation of magnetic ordering at large irradiation doses occurs much earlier than graphite amorphization but coincides with the destruction of graphene sheet stacking.

Poster presentation.