Thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition in epitaxial SrRuO3 ultrathin films
Abstract
Transport characteristics of ultrathin SrRuO₃ films, deposited epitaxially on TiO₂-terminated SrTiO₃ (001) single-crystal substrates, were studied as a function of film thickness. Evolution from a metallic to an insulating behavior is observed as the film thickness decreases from 20 to 4 unit cells. In films thicker than 4 unit cells, the transport behavior obeys the Drude low temperature conductivity with quantum corrections, which can be attributed to weak localization. Fitting the data with 2-dimensional localization model indicates that electron-phonon collisions are the main inelastic relaxation mechanism. In the film of 4 unit cells in thickness, the transport behavior follows variable range hopping model, indicating a strongly localized state. As a result, magnetoresistance measurements reveal a likely magnetic anisotropy with the magnetic easy axis along the out-of-plane direction.
- Authors:
-
- Nanjing Univ., Nanjing (China)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research, Dresden (Germany)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1182535
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-107631-2015-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979; JAPIAU; R&D Project: 16060; KC0403020; TRN: US1500508
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC00112704
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Applied Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY; functional nanomaterials; metallic thin films; metal insulator transitions; weak localization; magnetoresistance; magnetic films
Citation Formats
Shen, Xuan, Qiu, Xiangbiao, Su, Dong, Zhou, Shengqiang, Li, Aidong, and Wu, Di. Thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition in epitaxial SrRuO3 ultrathin films. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4905485.
Shen, Xuan, Qiu, Xiangbiao, Su, Dong, Zhou, Shengqiang, Li, Aidong, & Wu, Di. Thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition in epitaxial SrRuO3 ultrathin films. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905485
Shen, Xuan, Qiu, Xiangbiao, Su, Dong, Zhou, Shengqiang, Li, Aidong, and Wu, Di. Tue .
"Thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition in epitaxial SrRuO3 ultrathin films". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905485. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1182535.
@article{osti_1182535,
title = {Thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition in epitaxial SrRuO3 ultrathin films},
author = {Shen, Xuan and Qiu, Xiangbiao and Su, Dong and Zhou, Shengqiang and Li, Aidong and Wu, Di},
abstractNote = {Transport characteristics of ultrathin SrRuO₃ films, deposited epitaxially on TiO₂-terminated SrTiO₃ (001) single-crystal substrates, were studied as a function of film thickness. Evolution from a metallic to an insulating behavior is observed as the film thickness decreases from 20 to 4 unit cells. In films thicker than 4 unit cells, the transport behavior obeys the Drude low temperature conductivity with quantum corrections, which can be attributed to weak localization. Fitting the data with 2-dimensional localization model indicates that electron-phonon collisions are the main inelastic relaxation mechanism. In the film of 4 unit cells in thickness, the transport behavior follows variable range hopping model, indicating a strongly localized state. As a result, magnetoresistance measurements reveal a likely magnetic anisotropy with the magnetic easy axis along the out-of-plane direction.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4905485},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 1,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Tue Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}
Web of Science
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