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Title: Probing Electron Correlations in 1D Electronic Materials Using Single Quantum Channels (Final Technical Report)

Abstract

This research focuses on the investigation of strong electron correlations in quasi-one-dimensional oxide nanostructures. The archetypical system consisting of heterostructures formed from an ultrathin layer of LaAlO3 and TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 offers a unique laboratory for probing strong correlations due to intrinsic richness of the physical system and its ability to be modulated at extreme nanoscale dimensions. Under suitable conditions, SrTiO3 is known to exhibit a variety of important properties associated with strong electronic correlations, especially superconductivity, magnetism. Understanding the nature of these electronic correlations at fundamental scales, and in reduced spatial dimensions, will provide the scientific basis for new energy technologies, information technologies, and materials. The research program is motivated by recent discoveries and technical advances in the PIs' lab, specifically, (1) pioneering work to create conductive nanostructures to be created in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerfaces with 2 nm spatial resolution, (2) the discovery of a novel correlated electronic phases in which electrons pair without forming a superconductor, and (3) the demonstrated ability to form high-quality quantum point contacts (QPCs) and achieve ballistic electron transport over micrometer-scales in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 nanowires. The program has three major components. First, we have press forward to develop a full microscopic understanding of the mechanism for electronmore » pairing in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 nanostructures. Understanding the “glue” that leads to pairing and superconductivity in a doped semiconductor will help to form a scientific basis for the correlated oxide nanoelectronics platform being developed. Second, we have used their ability to create well-defined quantum channels in nanowires allows to allow novel “scattering” experiments to be performed that probe fundamentally new quasiparticle excitations using an unprecedented combination of experimental methodologies. Experiments already underway with artificially defined superlattices (5 nm period) demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. Third, we have investigated 1D correlations in proximally coupled nanowires, which are predicted exhibit Majorana-like zero modes in the absence of superconductivity or spin-orbit coupling. These studies provide insight not only into new and emergent phenomena in the rich class of complex oxides, but also fundamental mechanisms of superconductivity and magnetism. Thematically, the research aims to combine some of the most important and interesting challenges in the physics of semiconductor nanostructures and correlated electronic materials. The increased understanding of electron correlations can pave the way to the development of new materials with outstanding or novel properties, which could be relevant for energy-related technologies such as low-power high performance computing, quantum computation, or the development of novel materials.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1582217
Report Number(s):
OE-PITT-SC0014417
TRN: US2102486
DOE Contract Number:  
SC0014417
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; oxide nanoelectronics; LaAlO3/SrTiO3

Citation Formats

Levy, Jeremy. Probing Electron Correlations in 1D Electronic Materials Using Single Quantum Channels (Final Technical Report). United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.2172/1582217.
Levy, Jeremy. Probing Electron Correlations in 1D Electronic Materials Using Single Quantum Channels (Final Technical Report). United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1582217
Levy, Jeremy. 2020. "Probing Electron Correlations in 1D Electronic Materials Using Single Quantum Channels (Final Technical Report)". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1582217. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1582217.
@article{osti_1582217,
title = {Probing Electron Correlations in 1D Electronic Materials Using Single Quantum Channels (Final Technical Report)},
author = {Levy, Jeremy},
abstractNote = {This research focuses on the investigation of strong electron correlations in quasi-one-dimensional oxide nanostructures. The archetypical system consisting of heterostructures formed from an ultrathin layer of LaAlO3 and TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 offers a unique laboratory for probing strong correlations due to intrinsic richness of the physical system and its ability to be modulated at extreme nanoscale dimensions. Under suitable conditions, SrTiO3 is known to exhibit a variety of important properties associated with strong electronic correlations, especially superconductivity, magnetism. Understanding the nature of these electronic correlations at fundamental scales, and in reduced spatial dimensions, will provide the scientific basis for new energy technologies, information technologies, and materials. The research program is motivated by recent discoveries and technical advances in the PIs' lab, specifically, (1) pioneering work to create conductive nanostructures to be created in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerfaces with 2 nm spatial resolution, (2) the discovery of a novel correlated electronic phases in which electrons pair without forming a superconductor, and (3) the demonstrated ability to form high-quality quantum point contacts (QPCs) and achieve ballistic electron transport over micrometer-scales in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 nanowires. The program has three major components. First, we have press forward to develop a full microscopic understanding of the mechanism for electron pairing in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 nanostructures. Understanding the “glue” that leads to pairing and superconductivity in a doped semiconductor will help to form a scientific basis for the correlated oxide nanoelectronics platform being developed. Second, we have used their ability to create well-defined quantum channels in nanowires allows to allow novel “scattering” experiments to be performed that probe fundamentally new quasiparticle excitations using an unprecedented combination of experimental methodologies. Experiments already underway with artificially defined superlattices (5 nm period) demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. Third, we have investigated 1D correlations in proximally coupled nanowires, which are predicted exhibit Majorana-like zero modes in the absence of superconductivity or spin-orbit coupling. These studies provide insight not only into new and emergent phenomena in the rich class of complex oxides, but also fundamental mechanisms of superconductivity and magnetism. Thematically, the research aims to combine some of the most important and interesting challenges in the physics of semiconductor nanostructures and correlated electronic materials. The increased understanding of electron correlations can pave the way to the development of new materials with outstanding or novel properties, which could be relevant for energy-related technologies such as low-power high performance computing, quantum computation, or the development of novel materials.},
doi = {10.2172/1582217},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1582217}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}