Two-dimensional quantum oscillations of the conductance at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces

We report on a study of magnetotransport in LaAlO3 /SrTiO3 interfaces characterized by mobilities of the order of several thousands cm2/V s. We observe Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations whose period depends only on the perpendicular component of the magnetic field. This observation directly indicates the formation of a two-dimensional electron gas originating from quantum confinement at the interface. From the temperature dependence of the oscillation amplitude we extract an effective carrier mass m* ? 1.45 m(e). An electric field applied in the back-gate geometry increases the mobility, the carrier density, and the oscillation frequency.     

Two-dimensional metallic behavior at polar MgO/BaTiO_3(110) interfaces

The first-principles calculations are employed to investigate the electrical properties of polar MgO/BaTiO3(110)interfaces. Both n-type and p-type polar interfaces show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. For the n-type polar interface,the interface Ti3d electrons are the origin of the metallic and magnetic properties. Varying the thickness of Ba TiO3 may induce an insulator–metal transition, and the critical thickness is 4 unit cells. For the p-type polar interface, holes preferentially occupy the interface O 2p y state, resulting in a conducting interface. The unbalance of the spin splitting of the O 2p states in the interface Mg O layer leads to a magnetic moment of about 0.25μB per O atom at the interface.These results further demonstrate that other polar interfaces, besides LaAlO3/SrTiO3, can show a two-dimensional metallic behavior. It is helpful to fully understand the role of polar discontinuity on the properties of the interface, which widens the field of polar-nonpolar interfaces.     

Chains at interfaces

Simha, together with Frisch and Eirich, was among the first to realize that in energetic interaction with a surface a flexible polymer chain would be under a major conformational constraint which could be analyzed by solving a random walk (diffusional) problem near a barrier. These results stimulated more work, and today we have a fairly good knowledge of the factors which determine polymer adsorption from very dilute solution. Conformational problems arise also when more concentrated systems are used and it has become apparent that as concentration increases the surface phase will, more and more, be scaled by the root mean square diameter of the undeformed macromolecule. One can view the presence of an energetically attractive interface as creating a sink for macromolecules. The closer a polymer solution is to its Θ point, the more easily the polymer in solution can enter the sink and the stronger will be the extent of adsorption. The presence of an interface can thus be seen as a means to produce a phase separation in a polymer system which would otherwise be stable. Coatings of adsorbed polymers over colloidal particles create “macromolecular” solutions, where the “macromolecule” is the colloid particle with its adsorbed coat. This causes polymer segment/polymer segment contacts to dominate the encounter energetically. Hence, the solution behavior of the coated colloid becomes reminiscent of the solution behavior of the polymer in the coat. Stabilization by adsorbed polymer layers derives from converting the original solubility characteristics of the colloid, from what they were, essentially to those of the polymer being used.     

Gels at interfaces

We discuss the adsorption of polymer gels on flat surfaces. Even in cases of complete wetting where the spreading power S is positive and where an equivalent liquid would spread, the elastic stresses due to the gel deformation upon adsorption oppose the spreading. The competition between elasticity characterized by the bulk shear modulus G and capillarity characterized by the spreading power S defines a typical length scale ℓ = S/G for the deformation in the gel. For loose gels ℓ can be of the order of 1 μm. Macroscopic gels larger than ℓ deform only at their edges over a region of size ℓ. Microscopic gels smaller than ℓ show a finite deformation despite the elastic stresses. The elastic stresses limit the spreading of the polymer, but solvent can be sucked out of a swollen gel by wetting the surface. The thin solvent film can extend rather far from the gel edge and carry solvent. We calculate the kinetics of the solvent film formation and of the solvent transfer from a more swollen gel to a less swollen gel. Received 16 July 2001     

Materials for spintronic: Room temperature ferromagnetism in Zn–Mn–O interfaces

In this paper we study the room temperature ferromagnetism reported on Mn-doped ZnO and ascribed to spin polarization of conduction electrons. We experimentally show that the ferromagnetic behaviour is associated to the coexistence of Mn³⁺ and Mn⁺⁴ in MnO₂ grains where diffusion of Zn promotes the Mn⁴⁺→Mn³⁺ reduction. Potential uses of this material in spintronic devices are analysed.     

Two-dimensional superconductors with intrinsic p-wave pairing or nontrivial band topology

Over the past fifteen years, tremendous efforts have been devoted to realizing topological superconductivity in realistic materials and systems, predominately propelled by their promising application potentials in fault-tolerant quantum information processing. In this article, we attempt to give an overview on some of the main developments in this field, focusing in particular on two-dimensional crystalline superconductors that possess either intrinsic p-wave pairing or nontrivial band topology....     

Multiblock copolymers at interfaces

Summary We consider the configurations and the various regimes when an alternating, symmetric, multiblock copolymer made of successive sequences of A and B monomers with equal lengthZ is at the interface between two immiscible solvents that are respectively good for one of the sequences and poor for the other one. We find two semi-dilute regimes, when the copolymers overlap. For monomer concentrations belowГ ^**, we find a first range where the thickness of the copolymers is constant and equal to the radius of a sequence. For concentrations larger thanГ ^**, a second regime appears, where the seqeunces stretch our and adopt a conformation similar to what was reported for grafted polymers. Finally at a concentrationГ _sat, the interface is completely saturated, and the copolymers form micelles in the bulk: it becomes energetically more favourable to have copolymers in the bulk than at interface. Paper presented at the I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4‘8, 1994.     

Second-harmonic generation at interfaces

Second-harmonic light can be generated at dye coated surfaces of fused silica. By changing either the angle of incidence or the frequency of the fundamental, phase matching of signals produced at the two surfaces of a plane-parallel plate has been achieved. The interaction of light from multiple internal reflections has also been studied.     

Superconductivity at disordered interfaces

The increase of the superconducting transition temperature T_c due to the tunneling of conduction electrons into negative-U centers at a disordered metal-semiconductor interface is calculated. The strong dependence of the experimental increase of T_c on the Fermi energy of the metal is accounted for by the polaronic reduction of the tunneling matrix elements. The latter reduction is dynamically suppressed by the decreasing lifetime of the localized state as E_F increases. The theoretical enhancement is sufficiently strong to explain the increase of T_c observed in eutectic alloys.     

Ions at helium interfaces

The boundaries between different phases of condensed helium provide an interesting testing ground for studying ions in a quantum matter matrix. Here we consider the simplest positive and negative ions in helium — snowballs and electron bubbles, respectively — being trapped at the liquid-liquid interface of phaseseparated³He–⁴He mixtures and at the liquid-solid interface of⁴He. A comparison of experimental results for the trapping with predictions of the snowball and the bubble models shows that the models are in qualitative accord with the observations, but disagree in detail. It is suggested to use such studies for refinements of the ion models. In addition multielectron bubbles (=mesoscopic ions) and electrons on helium films are briefly discussed.     

Magnetic anisotropy of Co2+ as signature of intrinsic ferromagnetism in ZnO:Co

We report on the magnetic properties of thoroughly characterized Zn(1-x)Co(x)O epitaxial thin films, with low Co concentration, x = 0.003-0.005. Magnetic and EPR measurements, combined with crystal field theory, reveal that isolated Co2+ ions in ZnO possess a strong single ion anisotropy which leads to an "easy plane" ferromagnetic state when the ferromagnetic Co-Co interaction is considered. We suggest that the peculiarities of the magnetization process of this state can be viewed as a signature of intrinsic ferromagnetism in ZnO:Co materials.     

Prediction of enhanced ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As by intrinsic defect manipulation

In the diluted magnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As the excess of As incorporated as As antisites (As_Ga) is responsible for the hole compensation. The As_Ga defect can be transformed into a As interstitial–Ga vacancy pair (As_i–V_Ga) upon illumination. In this paper we study the effects of such a transition on the ferromagnetism of (Ga,Mn)As using density functional theory within the local spin density approximation. We find that the ferromagnetic order in (Ga,Mn)As is strongly enhanced if As_Ga are transformed into As_i–V_Ga pairs, since the hole compensation is reduced. This suggests a valuable way to tune the carrier concentration and hence the T_c in (Ga,Mn)As, without changing the Mn concentration nor the microscopic configuration of the Mn ions.     

Photoelectron injection at metal-semiconductor interfaces

A modelling of the photoinjection process is developed which permits fitting of the spectral photoresponse of Schottky barriers including the electric field dependence of barrier height and photoresponse by means of two adjustable parameters: the zero field barrier qφ_BO and λ₀ the zero temperature mean free path for optical phonon scattering of high energy electrons. The model assumes an image force potential barrier with Thomas-Fermi screening in the metal. Effects of optical phonon scattering and quantum mechanical transmission are convoluted on the Fowler photoelectron supply function. The effects of phonon scattering are frequently large because the ranges in energies associated with the transverse momentum and normal momentum are approximately the amount by which the quantum energy hv exceeds the barrier energy qφ_B. At high fields, quantum mechanical tunneling dominates the response when hv < qφ_B. At low fields, phonon assisted transmission is appreciable for the same quantum energy range. The calculation of the collection probability includes effects of multiple scattering even for electrons that do not lie initially within the cone of acceptance at the barrier maximum. An approach that considers the probability of collection the same as that of reaching the potential maximum without scattering is found to be acceptable only at high fields. Experimental results are reported from oxide-passivated epitaxial Pt_xSi-〈111〉 n-type Si Schottky barrier diodes with annular Schottky barrier guard rings measured at temperatures of 90 and 298 K for an electric field range from 5 × 10³ to 9 × 10⁴$\text{V}\text{cm}$. The field, spectral and temperature dependences of the photoresponse data are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions with λ₀ = 110 Å at both 90 and 298 K. The zero field barrier height obtained from fitting photoresponse curves at a number of electric fields is also in excellent agreement with I-V and C-V measurements.