Moire engineering has recently emerged as a capable approach to control quantum phenomena in condensed matter systems. In van der Waals heterostructures, moire patterns can be formed by lattice misorientation between adjacent atomic layers, creating long range electronic order. To date, moire engineering has been executed solely in stacked van der Waals multilayers. Herein, we describe our discovery of electronic moire patterns in films of a prototypical magnetoresistive oxide La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates. Using scanning probe nano-imaging, we observe microscopic moire profiles attributed to the coexistence and interaction of two distinct incommensurate patterns of strain modulation within these films. The net effect is that both electronic conductivity and ferromagnetism of LSMO are modulated by periodic moire textures extending over mesoscopic scales. Our work provides an entirely new route with potential to achieve spatially patterned electronic textures on demand in strained epitaxial materials.
Download