Atomic-scale electrochemistry on the surface of a manganite by scanning tunneling microscopy

Journal Article · Mon Apr 06 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4917299· OSTI ID:22398867

Tselev, Alexander; Baddorf, Arthur P. ^[1]; Gianfrancesco, Anthony G. ^[2]; Kalinin, Sergei V. ^[1]

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1. Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)
2. UT/ORNL Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)

The doped manganese oxides (manganites) have been widely studied for their colossal magnetoresistive effects, for potential applications in oxide spintronics, electroforming in resistive switching devices, and are materials of choice as cathodes in modern solid oxide fuel cells. However, little experimental knowledge of the dynamics of the surfaces of perovskite manganites at the atomic scale exists. Here, through in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we demonstrate atomic resolution on samples of La{sub 0.625}Ca{sub 0.375}MnO{sub 3} grown on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} by pulsed laser deposition. Furthermore, by applying triangular DC waveforms of increasing amplitude to the STM tip, and measuring the tunneling current, we demonstrate the ability to both perform and monitor surface electrochemical processes at the atomic level, including formation of oxygen vacancies and removal and deposition of individual atomic units or clusters. Our work paves the way for better understanding of surface oxygen reactions in these systems.

• OSTI ID: 22398867
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 14; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CATHODES
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTRODEPOSITION
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LASER RADIATION
MAGNETORESISTANCE
MANGANESE OXIDES
OXYGEN
PULSED IRRADIATION
SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY
SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS
STRONTIUM TITANATES
SURFACES
TUNNEL EFFECT
VACANCIES
WAVE FORMS