Back to Search
Start Over
Atomically precise interfaces from non-stoichiometric deposition
- Source :
- Nature Communications. 5
- Publication Year :
- 2014
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2014.
-
Abstract
- Complex oxide heterostructures display some of the most chemically abrupt, atomically precise interfaces, which is advantageous when constructing new interface phases with emergent properties by juxtaposing incompatible ground states. One might assume that atomically precise interfaces result from stoichiometric growth, but here we show that the most precise control is obtained for non-stoichiometric growth where differing surface energies can be compensated by surfactant-like effects. For the precise growth of Sr$_{n+1}$Ti$_n$O$_{3n+1}$ Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) phases, stoichiometric deposition leads to the loss of the first RP rock-salt double layer, but growing with a strontium-rich surface layer restores the bulk stoichiometry and ordering of the subsurface RP structure. Our results dramatically expand the materials that can be prepared in epitaxial heterostructures with precise interface control---from just the $n=\infty$ end members (perovskites) to the entire RP family---enabling the exploration of novel quantum phenomena at a richer variety of oxide interfaces.<br />9 pages, 5 figures
- Subjects :
- 010302 applied physics
Condensed Matter - Materials Science
Multidisciplinary
Materials science
Oxide
Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
FOS: Physical sciences
General Physics and Astronomy
Heterojunction
02 engineering and technology
General Chemistry
Crystal structure
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Epitaxy
01 natural sciences
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
chemistry.chemical_compound
Chemical engineering
chemistry
0103 physical sciences
Layering
0210 nano-technology
Deposition (chemistry)
Stoichiometry
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20411723
- Volume :
- 5
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nature Communications
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....abb0aefe06c54ed8ce5f5de4d3533542