Our recent experimental work on metallic and insulating interfaces controlled by interfacial redox reactions in SrTiO3-based heterostructures is reviewed along with a more general background of two-dimensional electro...Our recent experimental work on metallic and insulating interfaces controlled by interfacial redox reactions in SrTiO3-based heterostructures is reviewed along with a more general background of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） at oxide interfaces. Due to the presence of oxygen vacancies at the SrTiO3 surface, metallic conduction can be created at room temperature in perovskite-type interfaces when the overlayer oxide ABO3 has Al, Ti, Zr, or Hf elements at the B sites. Furthermore, relying on interface-stabilized oxygen vacancies, we have created a new type of 2DEG at the heterointerface between SrTiO3 and a spinel γ-Al2O3 epitaxial film with compatible oxygen ion sublattices. This 2DEG exhibits an electron mobility exceeding 100000 cm2·V-1·s-1, more than one order of magnitude higher than those of hitherto investigated perovskite-type interfaces. Our findings pave the way for the design of high-mobility all-oxide electronic devices and open a route toward the studies of mesoscopic physics with complex oxides.展开更多
A systematic study of the two-dimensional electron gas at La AlO_3/SrTiO_3（110） interface reveals an anisotropy along two specific directions, [001] and 1ī0. The anisotropy becomes distinct for the interface prepar...A systematic study of the two-dimensional electron gas at La AlO_3/SrTiO_3（110） interface reveals an anisotropy along two specific directions, [001] and 1ī0. The anisotropy becomes distinct for the interface prepared under high oxygen pressure with low carrier density. Angular dependence of magnetoresistance shows that the electron confinement is stronger along the 1ī0 direction. Gate-tunable magnetoresistance reveals a clear in-plane anisotropy of the spin–orbit coupling,and the spin relaxation mechanism along both directions belongs to D＇yakonov–Perel＇（DP） scenario. Moreover, in-plane anisotropic superconductivity is observed for the sample with high carrier density, the superconducting transition temperature is lower but the upper critical field is higher along the 1ī0 direction. This in-plane anisotropy could be ascribed to the anisotropic band structure along the two crystallographic directions.展开更多
To reveal the internal physics of the low-temperature mobility of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） in Al- GaN/GaN heterostructures, we present a theoretical study of the strong dependence of 2DEG mobility on Al c...To reveal the internal physics of the low-temperature mobility of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） in Al- GaN/GaN heterostructures, we present a theoretical study of the strong dependence of 2DEG mobility on Al content and thickness of AlGaN barrier layer. The theoretical results are compared with one of the highest measured of 2DEG mobility reported for AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. The 2DEG mobility is modelled as a combined effect of the scat- tering mechanisms including acoustic deformation-potential, piezoelectric, ionized background donor, surface donor, dislocation, alloy disorder and interface roughness scattering. The analyses of the individual scattering processes show that the dominant scattering mechanisms are the alloy disorder scattering and the interface roughness scattering at low temperatures. The variation of 2DEG mobility with the barrier layer parameters results mainly from the change of 2DEG density and distribution. It is suggested that in AlGaN/GaN samples with a high Al content or a thick AlGaN layer, the interface roughness scattering may restrict the 2DEG mobility significantly, for the AlGaN/GaN interface roughness increases due to the stress accumulation in AlGaN layer.展开更多
The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the electrical properties of polar MgO/BaTiO3（110）interfaces. Both n-type and p-type polar interfaces show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. For the n...The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the electrical properties of polar MgO/BaTiO3（110）interfaces. Both n-type and p-type polar interfaces show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. For the n-type polar interface,the interface Ti3d electrons are the origin of the metallic and magnetic properties. Varying the thickness of Ba TiO3 may induce an insulator–metal transition, and the critical thickness is 4 unit cells. For the p-type polar interface, holes preferentially occupy the interface O 2p y state, resulting in a conducting interface. The unbalance of the spin splitting of the O 2p states in the interface Mg O layer leads to a magnetic moment of about 0.25μB per O atom at the interface.These results further demonstrate that other polar interfaces, besides LaAlO3/SrTiO3, can show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. It is helpful to fully understand the role of polar discontinuity on the properties of the interface, which widens the field of polar-nonpolar interfaces.展开更多
This paper finds that the two-dimensional electron gas density in high Al-content A1GaN/GaN heterostructures exhibits an obvious time-dependent degradation after the epitaxial growth. The degradation mechanism was inv...This paper finds that the two-dimensional electron gas density in high Al-content A1GaN/GaN heterostructures exhibits an obvious time-dependent degradation after the epitaxial growth. The degradation mechanism was investigated in depth using Hall effect measurements,high resolution x-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.The results reveal that the formation of surface oxide is the main reason for the degradation,and the surface oxidation always occurs within the surface hexagonal defects for high Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructures.展开更多
The two-dimensional electron gas at SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces has received a great deal of attention in recent years owing to their potential for the exploration of emergent physics and the next generation of elec...The two-dimensional electron gas at SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces has received a great deal of attention in recent years owing to their potential for the exploration of emergent physics and the next generation of electronics. One of the most fascinating aspects in this system is that the light, as a powerful external perturbation, can modify its transport properties. Recent studies have reported that SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces exhibit the persistent photoconductivity and can be tuned by the surface and interface engineering. These researches not only reveal the intrinsic physical mechanisms in the photoresponsive process, but also highlight the ability to be used as a tool for novel all-oxide optical devices. This review mainly contraposes the studies of photoresponse at SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces.展开更多
Recently, the quasi-two-dimensional electron gas （q2DEG） confined at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 has attracted significant attention. In this paper, we briefly review experimental methods that have been ...Recently, the quasi-two-dimensional electron gas （q2DEG） confined at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 has attracted significant attention. In this paper, we briefly review experimental methods that have been used to tune the carrier density and mobility of this q2DEG. These methods can be classified into two categories： growth-related tuning （i.e. substrate, growth temperature, oxygen pressure, post-annealing, LaAlO3 thickness, stoichiometry, and capping layers） and post-growth tuning （i.e. electrostatic field gating, conductive atomic force microscopy and surface adsorbates）. Taken together, these methods enable the broad tuning of the electronic properties of this interface.展开更多
The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the stability, magnetic, and electrical properties of the oxide heterostructure of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110）. By comparing their interface energies, it is obta...The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the stability, magnetic, and electrical properties of the oxide heterostructure of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110）. By comparing their interface energies, it is obtained that the buckled interface is more stable than the abrupt interface. This result is consistent with experimental observation. At the interface of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110） heterostructure, the Ti-O octahedron distortions cause the Ti tzg orbitals to split into the two- fold degenerate dxz/dyz and nondegenerate dxy orbitals. The former has higher energy than the latter. The partly filled two-fold degenerate t2g orbitals are the origin of two-dimensional electron gas, which is confined at the interface. Lattice mismatch between LaA103 and SrTiO3 leads to ferroelectric-like lattice distortions at the interface, and this is the origin of spin-splitting of Ti 3d electrons. Hence the magnetism appears at the interface of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110）.展开更多
文摘Our recent experimental work on metallic and insulating interfaces controlled by interfacial redox reactions in SrTiO3-based heterostructures is reviewed along with a more general background of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） at oxide interfaces. Due to the presence of oxygen vacancies at the SrTiO3 surface, metallic conduction can be created at room temperature in perovskite-type interfaces when the overlayer oxide ABO3 has Al, Ti, Zr, or Hf elements at the B sites. Furthermore, relying on interface-stabilized oxygen vacancies, we have created a new type of 2DEG at the heterointerface between SrTiO3 and a spinel γ-Al2O3 epitaxial film with compatible oxygen ion sublattices. This 2DEG exhibits an electron mobility exceeding 100000 cm2·V-1·s-1, more than one order of magnitude higher than those of hitherto investigated perovskite-type interfaces. Our findings pave the way for the design of high-mobility all-oxide electronic devices and open a route toward the studies of mesoscopic physics with complex oxides.
基金Project supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant Nos.2013CB921701,2013CBA01603,and 2014CB920903)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.10974019,51172029,91121012,11422430,11374035,11474022,and 11474024)+1 种基金the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in the University of the Ministry of Education of China(Grant No.NCET-13-0054)the Beijing Higher Education Young Elite Teacher Project,China(Grant No.YETP0238)
文摘A systematic study of the two-dimensional electron gas at La AlO_3/SrTiO_3（110） interface reveals an anisotropy along two specific directions, [001] and 1ī0. The anisotropy becomes distinct for the interface prepared under high oxygen pressure with low carrier density. Angular dependence of magnetoresistance shows that the electron confinement is stronger along the 1ī0 direction. Gate-tunable magnetoresistance reveals a clear in-plane anisotropy of the spin–orbit coupling,and the spin relaxation mechanism along both directions belongs to D＇yakonov–Perel＇（DP） scenario. Moreover, in-plane anisotropic superconductivity is observed for the sample with high carrier density, the superconducting transition temperature is lower but the upper critical field is higher along the 1ī0 direction. This in-plane anisotropy could be ascribed to the anisotropic band structure along the two crystallographic directions.
基金supported by the Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 60736033)Xi’an Applied Materials Innovation Fund of China (Grant No XA-AM-200703)the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Material and Devices,Ministry of Education,China
文摘To reveal the internal physics of the low-temperature mobility of two-dimensional electron gas （2DEG） in Al- GaN/GaN heterostructures, we present a theoretical study of the strong dependence of 2DEG mobility on Al content and thickness of AlGaN barrier layer. The theoretical results are compared with one of the highest measured of 2DEG mobility reported for AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. The 2DEG mobility is modelled as a combined effect of the scat- tering mechanisms including acoustic deformation-potential, piezoelectric, ionized background donor, surface donor, dislocation, alloy disorder and interface roughness scattering. The analyses of the individual scattering processes show that the dominant scattering mechanisms are the alloy disorder scattering and the interface roughness scattering at low temperatures. The variation of 2DEG mobility with the barrier layer parameters results mainly from the change of 2DEG density and distribution. It is suggested that in AlGaN/GaN samples with a high Al content or a thick AlGaN layer, the interface roughness scattering may restrict the 2DEG mobility significantly, for the AlGaN/GaN interface roughness increases due to the stress accumulation in AlGaN layer.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CB632506)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11374186,51231007,51202132,and 51102153)the Independent Innovation Foundation of Shandong University,China(Grant No.2012TS027)
文摘The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the electrical properties of polar MgO/BaTiO3（110）interfaces. Both n-type and p-type polar interfaces show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. For the n-type polar interface,the interface Ti3d electrons are the origin of the metallic and magnetic properties. Varying the thickness of Ba TiO3 may induce an insulator–metal transition, and the critical thickness is 4 unit cells. For the p-type polar interface, holes preferentially occupy the interface O 2p y state, resulting in a conducting interface. The unbalance of the spin splitting of the O 2p states in the interface Mg O layer leads to a magnetic moment of about 0.25μB per O atom at the interface.These results further demonstrate that other polar interfaces, besides LaAlO3/SrTiO3, can show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. It is helpful to fully understand the role of polar discontinuity on the properties of the interface, which widens the field of polar-nonpolar interfaces.
基金Project supported by the Major Program and State Key Program of National Natural Science of China (Grant Nos 60890191 and 60736033)the National Key Science & Technology Special Project (Grant No 2008ZX 01002)
文摘This paper finds that the two-dimensional electron gas density in high Al-content A1GaN/GaN heterostructures exhibits an obvious time-dependent degradation after the epitaxial growth. The degradation mechanism was investigated in depth using Hall effect measurements,high resolution x-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.The results reveal that the formation of surface oxide is the main reason for the degradation,and the surface oxidation always occurs within the surface hexagonal defects for high Al-content AlGaN/GaN heterostructures.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51572222 and 11604265)Innovation Foundation for Doctor Dissertation of Northwestern Polytechnical University,China(Grant No.CX201836)
文摘The two-dimensional electron gas at SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces has received a great deal of attention in recent years owing to their potential for the exploration of emergent physics and the next generation of electronics. One of the most fascinating aspects in this system is that the light, as a powerful external perturbation, can modify its transport properties. Recent studies have reported that SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces exhibit the persistent photoconductivity and can be tuned by the surface and interface engineering. These researches not only reveal the intrinsic physical mechanisms in the photoresponsive process, but also highlight the ability to be used as a tool for novel all-oxide optical devices. This review mainly contraposes the studies of photoresponse at SrTiO3-based heterointerfaces.
基金Project supported by the Department of Energy,Office of Basic Energy Sciences(Grant No.DE-AC02-76SF00515)
文摘Recently, the quasi-two-dimensional electron gas （q2DEG） confined at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 has attracted significant attention. In this paper, we briefly review experimental methods that have been used to tune the carrier density and mobility of this q2DEG. These methods can be classified into two categories： growth-related tuning （i.e. substrate, growth temperature, oxygen pressure, post-annealing, LaAlO3 thickness, stoichiometry, and capping layers） and post-growth tuning （i.e. electrostatic field gating, conductive atomic force microscopy and surface adsorbates）. Taken together, these methods enable the broad tuning of the electronic properties of this interface.
基金Project supported by the National Basis Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CB632506)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11374186,51231007,and 51202132)the Independent Innovation Foundation of Shandong University,China(Grant No.2012TS027)
文摘The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the stability, magnetic, and electrical properties of the oxide heterostructure of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110）. By comparing their interface energies, it is obtained that the buckled interface is more stable than the abrupt interface. This result is consistent with experimental observation. At the interface of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110） heterostructure, the Ti-O octahedron distortions cause the Ti tzg orbitals to split into the two- fold degenerate dxz/dyz and nondegenerate dxy orbitals. The former has higher energy than the latter. The partly filled two-fold degenerate t2g orbitals are the origin of two-dimensional electron gas, which is confined at the interface. Lattice mismatch between LaA103 and SrTiO3 leads to ferroelectric-like lattice distortions at the interface, and this is the origin of spin-splitting of Ti 3d electrons. Hence the magnetism appears at the interface of LaAIO3/SrTiO3 （110）.
