Nature Communications (Sep 2016)

Hidden lattice instabilities as origin of the conductive interface between insulating LaAlO3 and SrTiO3

  • P. W. Lee,
  • V. N. Singh,
  • G. Y. Guo,
  • H.-J. Liu,
  • J.-C. Lin,
  • Y.-H. Chu,
  • C. H. Chen,
  • M.-W. Chu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12773
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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The origin of interfacial conductivity between two insulating oxides, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3, remains elusive despite a long time research. Here, Lee et al. report atomic-scale observation of electron-gas formation for screening hidden ferroelectric-like lattice instabilities, discounting the role of polar catastrophe and cation intermixing.