Electronic structure of buried LaNiO3 layers in (111)-oriented LaNiO3/LaMnO3 superlattices probed by soft x-ray ARPES

Abstract

Taking advantage of the large electron escape depth of soft x-ray angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we report electronic structure measurements of (111)-oriented [LaNiO3/LaMnO3] superlattices and LaNiO3 epitaxial films. For thin films, we observe a 3D Fermi surface with an electron pocket at the Brillouin zone center and hole pockets at the zone vertices. Superlattices with thick nickelate layers present a similar electronic structure. However, as the thickness of the LaNiO3 is reduced, the superlattices become insulating. These heterostructures do not show a marked redistribution of spectral weight in momentum space but exhibit a pseudogap of ≈50 meV.