The physical properties of bulk materials, e.g., magnetism or electronic transport, may be dramatically modified at their surfaces or at the interfaces with other materials. In particular, oxides offer an ideal platform to analyze such phenomena related to the effects of charge transfer, strain or chemical segregation on nanoscale regions –typically a few unit cells around interfaces and surfaces–. A particular spectacular example is the high mobility transport found at the interface of two oxide band insulators, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3, which may be the gateway to novel emergent oxide electronics. Our goal is to understand the physics behind the phenomena appearing within these nanometric regions for eventual new applications and devices. By using a variety of single crystals as structural templates, we grow oxide thin layers –usually a few nanometers thick– with tools that allow the growth with atomic control precision. Our multidisciplinary approach includes a range of sophisticated experimental methodologies, including pulsed laser deposition with in-situ RHEED, advanced magnetic, dielectric and magneto optic characterization, Atomic Force Microscopy, NMR, STEM-EELS, and X-Ray Synchrotron Radiation.
Selection of our recent publications:
- Conducted growth of SrRuO3 nanodot arrays on self-ordered La0.18Sr0.82Al0.59Ta0.41O3(001) surfaces. Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 051914 (2011)
- Persistent two-dimensional growth of (110) manganite films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 121904 (2010)
- Tuning the local frictional and electrostatic responses of nanostructured SrTiO3—surfaces by self-assembled molecular monolayers. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2010,
- Effects of thickness on the cation segregation in epitaxial (001) and (110) La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 thin films. Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 072507 (2009).
