Abstract
Electrostatic fields tune the ground state of interfaces between complex
oxide materials. Electronic properties, such as conductivity and
superconductivity, can be tuned and then used to create and control
circuit elements and gate-defined devices. Here we show that naturally
occurring twin boundaries, with properties that are different from their
surrounding bulk, can tune the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface 2DEG at the nanoscale. In particular, SrTiO3
domain boundaries have the unusual distinction of remaining highly
mobile down to low temperatures, and were recently suggested to be
polar. Here we apply localized pressure to an individual SrTiO3 twin boundary and detect a change in LaAlO3/SrTiO3
interface current distribution. Our data directly confirm the existence
of polarity at the twin boundaries, and demonstrate that they can serve
as effective tunable gates. As the location of SrTiO3 domain walls can be controlled using external field stimuli, our findings suggest a novel approach to manipulate SrTiO3-based devices on the nanoscale.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1203–1208 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Nature Materials |
Volume | 16 |
Early online date | 18 Sept 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2017 |
Keywords
- Surfaces, interfaces and thin films