Structural study of nickelate based heterostructures

Alternating layers; Atomic-force-microscopy; Density-functional theory calculations; Long axis; Nickelates; Scanning transmission electron microscopy; Spacer layer; Structural studies; Ultra-thin; Unit cells; Materials Science (all); Engineering (all)

Abstract :

[en] Heterostructures consisting of SmNiO3 and NdNiO3 alternating layers with additional LaAlO3 spacer layers were grown and fully characterized by means of x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. A change in the orientation of the orthorhombic long-axis of the nickelate layers is observed when a single unit cell of LaAlO3 is inserted between SmNiO3 and NdNiO3, in agreement with density functional theory calculations. At the same time, the structure of the ultra-thin rhombohedral LaAlO3 layers is affected by their proximity to orthorhombic nickelate layers, with both scanning transmission electron microscopy studies and density functional theory calculations revealing a weak antipolar motion of the La-cation in the LaAlO3 layers that is not present in the bulk rhombohedral structure of this compound.

Disciplines :

Physics

Author, co-author :

Varbaro, Lucia ; DQMP, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Mundet, Bernat ; DQMP, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland ; Electron Spectrometry and Microscopy Laboratory (LSME), Institute of Physics (IPHYS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland

Bandyopadhyay, Subhadeep ; CESAM Research Unit, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium

Domínguez, Claribel; DQMP, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Fowlie, Jennifer ; Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States

Korosec, Lukas ; DQMP, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Hsu, Chih-Ying ; DQMP, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland ; Electron Spectrometry and Microscopy Laboratory (LSME), Institute of Physics (IPHYS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland

Alexander, Duncan T. L. ; Electron Spectrometry and Microscopy Laboratory (LSME), Institute of Physics (IPHYS), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland

Ghosez, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique théorique des matériaux

Triscone, Jean-Marc ; DQMP, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

Language :

English

Title :

Structural study of nickelate based heterostructures

Publication date :

March 2024

Journal title :

APL Materials

ISSN :

2166-532X

Publisher :

American Institute of Physics Inc.

Volume :

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Tags :

CÉCI : Consortium des Équipements de Calcul Intensif
Tier-1 supercomputer

Additional URL :

https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apm/article-pdf/doi/10.1063/5.0184306/19709363/031104_1_5.0184306.pdf

Funders :

SNF - Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung

Funding text :

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation—Division II (Grant Nos. 200020_179155 and 200020_207338). The authors acknowledge the access to the electron microscopy facilities at the Interdisciplinary Center for Electron Microscopy, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

Available on ORBi :

since 03 July 2024

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