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Register a new userIntrinsic Inhomogeneities in Manganite Thin Films Investigated with Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy
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Thin films of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 on MgO show a metal insulator transition and colossal magnetoresistance. The shape of this transition can be explained by intrinsic spatial inhomogeneities, which give rise to a domain structure of conducting and insulating domains at the submicrometer scale. These domains then undergo a percolation transition. The tunneling conductance and tunneling gap measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy were used to distinguish and visualize these domains.
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Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy measurements were performed on La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films both at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature. While no inhomogeneities were recorded at liquid nitrogen temperature on any sample, a clear evidence of spectroscopic inhomogeneities was evident in tunnelling conductance maps collected at room temperature. The investigated films exhibit a transition from a ferromagnetic-metallic to a paramagnetic-insulating state around room temperature, so that the observed spectroscopic features can be interpreted within a phase separation scenario. A quantitative analysis of the observed spectroscopic features is reported pointing out the occurrence of phase modulation and its possible correlation with the properties of the system.
Electrical field control of the carrier density of topological insulators (TI) has greatly expanded the possible practical use of these materials. However, the combination of low temperature local probe studies and a gate tunable TI device remains challenging. We have overcome this limitation by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy measurements on in-situ molecular beam epitaxy growth of Bi2Se3 films on SrTiO3 substrates with pre-patterned electrodes. Using this gating method, we are able to shift the Fermi level of the top surface states by 250 meV on a 3 nm thick Bi2Se3 device. We report field effect studies of the surface state dispersion, band gap, and electronic structure at the Fermi level.
Structural study of orbital-ordered manganite thin films has been conducted using synchrotron radiation, and a ground state electronic phase diagram is made. The lattice parameters of four manganite thin films, Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (NSMO) or Pr0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (PSMO) on (011) surfaces of SrTiO3 (STO) or [(LaAlO3){0.3}(SrAl0.5Ta0.5O3){0.7}] (LSAT), were measured as a function of temperature. The result shows, as expected based on previous knowledge of bulk materials, that the films resistivity is closely related to their structures. Observed superlattice reflections indicate that NSMO thin films have an antiferro-orbital-ordered phase as their low-temperature phase while PSMO film on LSAT has a ferro-orbital-ordered phase, and that on STO has no orbital-ordered phase. A metallic ground state was observed only in films having a narrow region of A-site ion radius, while larger ions favor ferro-orbital-ordered structure and smaller ions stabilize antiferro-orbital-ordered structure. The key to the orbital-ordering transition in (011) film is found to be the in-plane displacement along [0-1 1] direction.
We have performed x-ray linear and circular magnetic dichroism experiments at the Mn L2,3-edge of the La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 ultra thin films. Our measurements show that the antiferromagnetic (AF) insulating phase is stabilized by the interfacial rearrangement of the Mn 3d orbitals, despite the relevant magnetostriction anisotropic effect on the double-exchange ferromagnetic (FM) metallic phase. As a consequence, the Mn atomic magnetic moment orientation and how it reacts to strain differ in the FM and AF phases. In some cases a FM insulating (FMI) phase adds to the AF and FM. Its peculiar magnetic properties include in-plane magnetic anisotropy and partial release of the orbital moment quenching. Nevertheless the FMI phase appears little coupled to the other ones.
Unique superconductivity at surfaces/interfaces, as exemplified by LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces, and the high transition temperature in ultrathin FeSe films, have triggered intense debates on how superconductivity is affected in atomic and electronic reconstructions. The surface of superconducting cubic spinel oxide LiTi2O4 is another interesting system because its inherent surface electronic and atomic reconstructions add complexity to superconducting properties. Investigations of such surfaces are hampered by the lack of single crystals or high-quality thin films. Here, using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, we report an unexpected small superconducting energy gap and a long coherence length on the surface of LiTi2O4 (111) epitaxial thin films. Furthermore, we find that a pseudogap opening at the Fermi energy modifies the surface superconductivity. Our results open an avenue, exploring anomalous superconductivity on the surface of cubic transition-metal oxides where the electronic states are spontaneously modulated with involving rich many-body interactions.
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