Graded orbital occupation near interfaces in a La2NiO4 – La2CuO4 superlattice
- Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Max Planck Institute of Solid State Research, Stuttgart (Germany)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
X-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant soft x-ray reflectivity show a nonuniform distribution of oxygen holes in a La2NiO4–La2CuO4 (LNO-LCO) superlattice, with excess holes concentrated in the LNO layers. Weak ferromagnetism with Tc=160 K suggests a coordinated tilting of NiO6 octahedra, similar to that of bulk LNO. Ni d3z2–r2 orbitals within the LNO layers have a spatially variable occupation. This variation of the Ni valence near LNO-LCO interfaces is observed with resonant soft x-ray reflectivity at the Ni and Cu L edges, at a reflection suppressed by the symmetry of the structure, and is possible through graded doping with holes, due to oxygen interstitials taken up preferentially by inner LNO layers. Further, since the density of oxygen atoms in the structure can be smoothly varied with standard procedures, this orbital occupation, robust up to at least 280 K, is tunable.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-06ER46285; AC02-98CH10886; FG02-07ER46453; FG02-07ER46471; AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 1958852
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 84, Issue 15; ISSN 1098-0121
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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