Title

Interface-induced magnetic polar metal phase in complex oxides

Authors

Meng Meng, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Zhen Wang, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Aafreen Fathima, Department of Physics & Nanotechnology and SRM Research Institute, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203, Tamil Nadu, India.
Saurabh Ghosh, Department of Physics & Nanotechnology and SRM Research Institute, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, 603203, Tamil Nadu, India. saurabhghosh2802@gmail.com.
Mohammad Saghayezhian, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Joel Taylor, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Rongying Jin, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Yimei Zhu, Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA.
Sokrates T. Pantelides, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37235, USA.
Jiandi Zhang, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
E W. Plummer, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA. wplummer@phys.lsu.edu.
Hangwen Guo, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA. hangwenguo@fudan.edu.cn.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-20-2019

Abstract

Polar metals are commonly defined as metals with polar structural distortions. Strict symmetry restrictions make them an extremely rare breed as the structural constraints favor insulating over metallic phase. Moreover, no polar metals are known to be magnetic. Here we report on the realization of a magnetic polar metal phase in a BaTiO/SrRuO/BaTiO heterostructure. Electron microscopy reveals polar lattice distortions in three-unit-cells thick SrRuO between BaTiO layers. Electrical transport and magnetization measurements reveal that this heterostructure possesses a metallic phase with high conductivity and ferromagnetic ordering with high saturation moment. The high conductivity in the SrRuO layer can be attributed to the effect of electrostatic carrier accumulation induced by the BaTiO layers. Density-functional-theory calculations provide insights into the origin of the observed properties of the thin SrRuO film. The present results pave a way to design materials with desired functionalities at oxide interfaces.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Nature communications

First Page

5248

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