The emergence of magnetic ordering at complex oxide interfaces tuned by defects

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17377-0

Authors: D.-S. Park (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology—EPFL) , A. D. Rata (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) , I. V. Maznichenko (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) , S. Ostanin (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) , Y. L. Gan (Technical University of Denmar) , S. Agrestini (ALBA Synchrotron Light Source; Diamond Light Source) , G. J. Rees (University of Oxford) , M. Walker (University of Warwick) , J. Li (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology—EPFL) , J. Herrero-Martin (ALBA Synchrotron Light Source) , G. Singh (Chalmers University of Technology) , Z. Luo (University of Warwick) , A. Bhatnagar (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg; Zentrum für Innovationskompetenz SiLi-nano) , Y. Z. Chen (Technical University of Denmark) , V. Tileli (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology—EPFL) , P. Muralt (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology—EPFL) , A. Kalaboukhov (Chalmers University of Technology) , I. Mertig (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) , K. Dörr (Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg) , A. Ernst (Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics; Johannes Kepler University) , N. Pryds (Technical University of Denmark)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Communications , VOL 11

State: Published (Approved)
Published: July 2020

Abstract: Complex oxides show extreme sensitivity to structural distortions and defects, and the intricate balance of competing interactions which emerge at atomically defined interfaces may give rise to unexpected physics. In the interfaces of non-magnetic complex oxides, one of the most intriguing properties is the emergence of magnetism which is sensitive to chemical defects. Particularly, it is unclear which defects are responsible for the emergent magnetic interfaces. Here, we show direct and clear experimental evidence, supported by theoretical explanation, that the B-site cation stoichiometry is crucial for the creation and control of magnetism at the interface between non-magnetic ABO3-perovskite oxides, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. We find that consecutive defect formation, driven by atomic charge compensation, establishes the formation of robust perpendicular magnetic moments at the interface. Our observations propose a route to tune these emerging magnetoelectric structures, which are strongly coupled at the polar-nonpolar complex oxide interfaces.

Journal Keywords: Magnetic properties and materials; Surfaces, interfaces and thin films

Subject Areas: Physics, Materials

Facility: BL29 at ALBA

Added On: 27/07/2020 14:05

Documents:
s41467-020-17377-0.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Surfaces Hard condensed matter - electronic properties Physics Magnetism Materials Science interfaces and thin films

Technical Tags: