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Title: Polarity compensation in ultra-thin films of complex oxides: The case of a perovskite nickelate

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06819· OSTI ID:1221158
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR (United States). Dept. of Physics.
  2. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

In this study, we address the fundamental issue of growth of perovskite ultra-thin films under the condition of a strong polar mismatch at the heterointerface exemplified by the growth of a correlated metal LaNiO3 on the band insulator SrTiO3 along the pseudo cubic [111] direction. While in general the metallic LaNiO3 film can effectively screen this polarity mismatch, we establish that in the ultra-thin limit, films are insulating in nature and require additional chemical and structural reconstruction to compensate for such mismatch. A combination of in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction recorded during the growth, X-ray diffraction, and synchrotron based resonant X-ray spectroscopy reveal the formation of a chemical phase La2Ni2O5 (Ni2+) for a few unit-cell thick films. First-principles layer-resolved calculations of the potential energy across the nominal LaNiO3/SrTiO3 interface confirm that the oxygen vacancies can efficiently reduce the electric field at the interface.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1221158
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1241336
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Vol. 4; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 47 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Tuning Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts by Changing the A-Site Rare-Earth Element in Perovskite Nickelates journal August 2018
A Coherently Strained Monoclinic [111]PbTiO 3 Film Exhibiting Zero Poisson's Ratio State journal June 2019
Interfacial Charge Engineering in Ferroelectric-Controlled Mott Transistors journal June 2017
Interfacial Octahedral Manipulation Imparts Hysteresis‐Free Metal to Insulator Transition in Ultrathin Nickelate Heterostructure journal July 2019
Polar metals by geometric design journal April 2016
Hybridization-controlled charge transfer and induced magnetism at correlated oxide interfaces journal January 2016
Charge transfer-induced magnetic exchange bias and electron localization in (111)- and (001)-oriented LaNiO 3 /LaMnO 3 superlattices journal March 2017
Structural investigation of (111) oriented (BiFeO 3 ) (1- x /(LaFeO 3 ) x Λ superlattices by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy journal April 2018
Carrier localization in perovskite nickelates from oxygen vacancies journal October 2019
Rare-earth nickelates R NiO 3 : thin films and heterostructures journal February 2018
Design of n - and p -type oxide thermoelectrics in LaNiO 3 / SrTiO 3 ( 001 ) superlattices exploiting interface polarity journal March 2017
Manipulating the polar mismatch at the LaNi O 3 / SrTi O 3 (111) interface journal April 2017
Epitaxial strain modulated electronic properties of interface controlled nickelate superlattices journal July 2018
Design of a Mott Multiferroic from a Nonmagnetic Polar Metal journal August 2015
Mott Electrons in an Artificial Graphenelike Crystal of Rare-Earth Nickelate journal February 2016
Disentangled Cooperative Orderings in Artificial Rare-Earth Nickelates journal April 2018
Hybridization-Switching Induced Mott Transition in A B O 3 Perovskites journal January 2019
Role of polar compensation in interfacial ferromagnetism of LaNiO 3 / CaMnO 3 superlattices journal July 2017
Polarity-driven oxygen vacancy formation in ultrathin LaNiO 3 films on SrTiO 3 journal October 2017
Epitaxial strain modulated electronic properties of interface controlled nickelate superlattice text January 2018