The absorption performance in the BiFeO$_3$/TiO$_2$ bilayer film prepared by simple sol-gel method has been significantly improved in the ultraviolet and visible-light region, comparing with BiFeO$_3$ and TiO$_2$ films. Terahertz-radiation emission p
resents a direct evidence of photon-induced electrons and holes transport in the heterostructures. First-principles calculations agree well with the experiments and present an unambiguous explanation of charge carriers transport and enhanced absorbance which is induced by the large electrostatic potential drop in the interface of heterostructures with the 109$^{circ}$ domain walls. This work provides a promising candidate toward designing novel photovoltaic BiFeO$_3$-based heterostructures with high efficiencies.
Reports of emergent conductivity, superconductivity, and magnetism at oxide interfaces have helped to fuel intense interest in their rich physics and technological potential. Here we employ magnetic force microscopy to search for room-temperature mag
netism in the well-studied LaAlO3/SrTiO3 system. Using electrical top gating to deplete electrons from the oxide interface, we directly observe an in-plane ferromagnetic phase with sharply defined domain walls. Itinerant electrons, introduced by a top gate, align antiferromagnetically with the magnetization, at first screening and then destabilizing it as the conductive state is reached. Subsequent depletion of electrons results in a new, uncorrelated magnetic pattern. This newfound control over emergent magnetism at the interface between two non-magnetic oxides portends a number of important technological applications.
The hysteretic piezoelectric response in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures can provide important insights into the mechanism for interfacial conductance and its metastability under various conditions. We have performed a variety of nonlocal piezoelectri
c force microscopy experiments on 3 unit cell LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures. A hysteretic piezoresponse is observed under various environmental and driving conditions. The hysteresis is suppressed when either the sample is placed in vacuum or the interface is electrically grounded. We present a simple physical model which can account for the observed phenomena.
Nanoscale control of the metal-insulator transition in LaAlO3/ SrTiO3 heterostructures can be achieved using local voltages applied by a conductive atomic-force microscope probe. One proposed mechanism for the writing and erasing process involves an
adsorbed H2O layer at the top LaAlO3 surface. In this picture, water molecules dissociates into OH- and H+ which are then selectively removed by a biased AFM probe. To test this mechanism, writing and erasing experiments are performed in a vacuum AFM using various gas mixtures. Writing ability is suppressed in those environments where H2O is not present. The stability of written nanostructures is found to be strongly associated with the ambient environment. The self-erasure process in air can be strongly suppressed by creating a modest vacuum or replacing the humid air with dry inert gas. These experiments provide strong constraints for theories of both the writing process as well as the origin of interfacial conductance.
