Electron pairing and nematicity in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 nanostructures

Nethwewala, Aditi; Lee, Hyungwoo; Li, Jianan; Briggeman, Megan; Pai, Yun-Yi; Eom, Kitae; Eom, Chang-Beom; Irvin, Patrick; Levy, Jeremy

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43539-x

Electron pairing and nematicity in LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ nanostructures

Journal Article · Thu Nov 23 00:00:00 EST 2023 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43539-x· OSTI ID:2472360

^[1]; Lee, Hyungwoo; Li, Jianan ^[2]; Briggeman, Megan ^[2]; Pai, Yun-Yi ^[2]; ^[3]; Eom, Chang-Beom ^[3]; Irvin, Patrick ^[2]; ^[2]

Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Pittsburgh Quantum Institute, PA (United States); OSTI
Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Pittsburgh Quantum Institute, PA (United States)
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Strongly correlated electronic systems exhibit a wealth of unconventional behavior stemming from strong electron-electron interactions. The LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ (LAO/STO) heterostructure supports rich and varied low-temperature transport characteristics including low-density superconductivity, and electron pairing without superconductivity for which the microscopic origins is still not understood. LAO/STO also exhibits inexplicable signatures of electronic nematicity via nonlinear and anomalous Hall effects. Nanoscale control over the conductivity of the LAO/STO interface enables mesoscopic experiments that can probe these effects and address their microscopic origins. Here we report a direct correlation between electron pairing without superconductivity, anomalous Hall effect and electronic nematicity in quasi-1D ballistic nanoscale LAO/STO Hall crosses. The characteristic magnetic field at which the Hall coefficient changes directly coincides with the depairing of non-superconducting pairs showing a strong correlation between the two distinct phenomena. Angle-dependent Hall measurements further reveal an onset of electronic nematicity that again coincides with the electron pairing transition, unveiling a rotational symmetry breaking due to the transition from paired to unpaired phases at the interface. The results presented here highlights the influence of preformed electron pairs on the transport properties of LAO/STO and provide evidence of the elusive pairing “glue” that gives rise to electron pairing in SrTiO₃-based systems.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-06ER46327

OSTI ID:: 2472360

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 14; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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