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

Document Type

Article

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.