Suppression of Octahedral Tilts and Associated Changes in Electronic Properties at Epitaxial Oxide Heterostructure Interfaces

Authors

A. Y. Borisevich, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
H. Y. Chang, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Mark Huijben, University of Twente, NetherlandsFollow
M. P. Oxley, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
S. Okamoto, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Manish K. Niranjan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
John D. Burton, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Y. H. Chu, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
P. Yu, University of California, at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
R. Ramesh, University of California, at Berkeley, Berkeley, California
Sergei V. Kalinin, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryFollow
S. J. Pennycook, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Date of this Version

2010

Citation

Physical Review Letters 105, 087204 (2010). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.087204

Comments

Copyright © 2010 American Physical Society. Used by Permission.

Abstract

Epitaxial oxide interfaces with broken translational symmetry have emerged as a central paradigm behind the novel behaviors of oxide superlattices. Here, we use scanning transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate a direct, quantitative unit-cell-by-unit-cell mapping of lattice parameters and oxygen octahedral rotations across the BiFeO₃ -La_0:7 Sr_0:3MnO₃ interface to elucidate how the change of crystal symmetry is accommodated. Combined with low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy imaging, we demonstrate a mesoscopic antiferrodistortive phase transition near the interface in BiFeO₃ and elucidate associated changes in electronic properties in a thin layer directly adjacent to the interface.