Dimensional-Crossover-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in SrVO3 Ultrathin Films

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.147601· OSTI ID:975071

Yoshimatsu, K ^[1]; Okabe, K ^[1]; Kumigashira, H ^[1]; Okamoto, Satoshi ^[2]; Aizaki, S ^[1]; Fujimori, A ^[1]; Oshima, M ^[1]

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1. University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
2. ORNL

We have investigated the changes occurring in the electronic structure of digitally controlled SrVO3 ultrathin films across the dimensionality-controlled metal-insulator transition (MIT) by in situ photoemission spectroscopy. With decreasing film thickness, a pseudogap is formed at EF through spectral weight transfer from the coherent part to the incoherent part. The pseudogap finally evolves into an energy gap that is indicative of the MIT in a SrVO3 ultrathin film. The observed spectral behavior is reproduced by layer dynamical-mean-field-theory calculations, and it indicates that the observed MIT is caused by the reduction in the bandwidth due to the dimensional crossover.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 975071
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 14; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ENERGY GAP
PHOTOEMISSION
SPECTROSCOPY
THICKNESS