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Electronic conductivity and structural distortion at the interface between insulators SrTiO3 and LaAlO3

J. -L. Maurice·C. Carretero·M. -J. Casanove·K. Bouzehouane·S. Guyard·É. Larquet·J. -P. Contour
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Abstract

When insulator LaAlO3 is grown by epitaxy onto a TiO2-terminated {100} surface of insulator SrTiO3, the resulting system has a metallic character. This phenomenon has been associated with an electrostatic frustration at the interface, as {100} surfaces of SrTiO3 are neutral while those of LaAlO3 are polar, but its microscopic mechanism is not quite understood. Here, we present a structural characterisation of this interface by aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. The unit cells at the interface appear elongated: we discuss this distortion in terms of electrostatic charge and extra carriers at the interface.

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J. -L. Maurice, C. Carretero, M. -J. Casanove, K. Bouzehouane, S. Guyard, É. Larquet, J. -P. Contour. 2006-03-13. Electronic conductivity and structural distortion at the interface between insulators SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.200690015

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