Probing single unit-cell resolved electronic structure modulations in oxide superlattices with standing-wave photoemission

Bibliographic Details
Title: Probing single unit-cell resolved electronic structure modulations in oxide superlattices with standing-wave photoemission
Authors: Yang, W., Chandrasena, R. U., Gu, M., Reis, R. M. S. dos, Moon, E. J., Arab, Arian, Husanu, M. -A., Ciston, J., Strocov, V. N., Rondinelli, J. M., May, S. J., Gray, A. X.
Source: Phys. Rev. B 100, 125119 (2019)
Publication Year: 2019
Collection: Condensed Matter
Subject Terms: Condensed Matter - Materials Science
More Details: Control of structural couplings at the complex-oxide interfaces is a powerful platform for creating new ultrathin layers with electronic and magnetic properties unattainable in the bulk. However, with the capability to design and control the electronic structure of such buried layers and interfaces at a unit-cell level, a new challenge emerges to be able to probe these engineered emergent phenomena with depth-dependent atomic resolution as well as element- and orbital selectivity. Here, we utilize a combination of core-level and valence-band soft x-ray standing-wave photoemission spectroscopy, in conjunction with scanning transmission electron microscopy, to probe the depth-dependent and single-unit-cell resolved electronic structure of an isovalent manganite superlattice [Eu0.7Sr0.3MnO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3]x15 wherein the electronic-structural properties are intentionally modulated with depth via engineered oxygen octahedra rotations/tilts and A-site displacements. Our unit-cell resolved measurements reveal significant transformations in the local chemical and electronic valence-band states, which are consistent with the layer-resolved first-principles theoretical calculations, thus opening the door for future depth-resolved studies of a wide variety of hetero-engineered material systems.
Document Type: Working Paper
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.100.125119
Access URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/1901.03778
Accession Number: edsarx.1901.03778
Database: arXiv
More Details
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.100.125119