Orbital Engineering in Nickelate Heterostructures Driven by Anisotropic Oxygen Hybridization rather than Orbital Energy Levels
Abstract
We used resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to investigate the electronic origin of orbital polarization in nickelate heterostructures taking LaTiO3-LaNiO3-3×(LaAlO3), a system with exceptionally large polarization, as a model system. Furthermore, we find that heterostructuring generates only minor changes in the Ni 3d orbital energy levels, contradicting the often-invoked picture in which changes in orbital energy levels generate orbital polarization. Instead, O K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy demonstrates that orbital polarization is caused by an anisotropic reconstruction of the oxygen ligand hole states. This also provides an explanation for the limited success of theoretical predictions based on tuning orbital energy levels and implies that future theories should focus on anisotropic hybridization as the most effective means to drive large changes in electronic structure and realize novel emergent phenomena.
- Authors:
-
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Dept. of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu (Taiwan)
- Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland). Research Dept.
- Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics
- Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics and Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu (Taiwan); National Tsing Hua Univ., Hsinchu (Taiwan). Dept. of Physics
- 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:
- 1336148
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1327546
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-112639-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; PRLTAO; R&D Project: PO011; KC0201060
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC00112704; 1047478
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 14; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Fabbris, G., Meyers, D., Okamoto, J., Pelliciari, J., Disa, A. S., Huang, Y., Chen, Z. -Y., Wu, W. B., Chen, C. T., Ismail-Beigi, S., Ahn, C. H., Walker, F. J., Huang, D. J., Schmitt, T., and Dean, M. P. M. Orbital Engineering in Nickelate Heterostructures Driven by Anisotropic Oxygen Hybridization rather than Orbital Energy Levels. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.147401.
Fabbris, G., Meyers, D., Okamoto, J., Pelliciari, J., Disa, A. S., Huang, Y., Chen, Z. -Y., Wu, W. B., Chen, C. T., Ismail-Beigi, S., Ahn, C. H., Walker, F. J., Huang, D. J., Schmitt, T., & Dean, M. P. M. Orbital Engineering in Nickelate Heterostructures Driven by Anisotropic Oxygen Hybridization rather than Orbital Energy Levels. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.147401
Fabbris, G., Meyers, D., Okamoto, J., Pelliciari, J., Disa, A. S., Huang, Y., Chen, Z. -Y., Wu, W. B., Chen, C. T., Ismail-Beigi, S., Ahn, C. H., Walker, F. J., Huang, D. J., Schmitt, T., and Dean, M. P. M. Fri .
"Orbital Engineering in Nickelate Heterostructures Driven by Anisotropic Oxygen Hybridization rather than Orbital Energy Levels". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.147401. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1336148.
@article{osti_1336148,
title = {Orbital Engineering in Nickelate Heterostructures Driven by Anisotropic Oxygen Hybridization rather than Orbital Energy Levels},
author = {Fabbris, G. and Meyers, D. and Okamoto, J. and Pelliciari, J. and Disa, A. S. and Huang, Y. and Chen, Z. -Y. and Wu, W. B. and Chen, C. T. and Ismail-Beigi, S. and Ahn, C. H. and Walker, F. J. and Huang, D. J. and Schmitt, T. and Dean, M. P. M.},
abstractNote = {We used resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to investigate the electronic origin of orbital polarization in nickelate heterostructures taking LaTiO3-LaNiO3-3×(LaAlO3), a system with exceptionally large polarization, as a model system. Furthermore, we find that heterostructuring generates only minor changes in the Ni 3d orbital energy levels, contradicting the often-invoked picture in which changes in orbital energy levels generate orbital polarization. Instead, O K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy demonstrates that orbital polarization is caused by an anisotropic reconstruction of the oxygen ligand hole states. This also provides an explanation for the limited success of theoretical predictions based on tuning orbital energy levels and implies that future theories should focus on anisotropic hybridization as the most effective means to drive large changes in electronic structure and realize novel emergent phenomena.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.147401},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 14,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
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