Surface triggered stabilization of metastable charge-ordered phase in SrTiO₃.

ABSTRACT: Charge ordering (CO), characterized by a periodic modulation of electron density and lattice distortion, has been a fundamental topic in condensed matter physics, serving as a potential platform for inducing novel functional properties. The charge-ordered phase is known to occur in a doped system with high d-electron occupancy, rather than low occupancy. Here, we report the realization of the charge-ordered phase in electron-doped (100) SrTiO₃ epitaxial thin films that have the lowest d-electron occupancy i.e., d¹-d⁰. Theoretical calculation predicts the presence of a metastable CO state in the bulk state of electron-doped SrTiO₃. Atomic scale analysis reveals that (100) surface distortion favors electron-lattice coupling for the charge-ordered s

SUBMITTER: Eom K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10853244 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature