Perovskite Oxide Interfaces Tailored by Cation Ordering Periodicities: Experimentally Resolved Atomic Structure and Predicted Magnetic Coupling

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 18, pp. 50054–50063

Abstract

Magnetically coupled interfaces formed from perovskite oxides with different B-site ordering periodicities have not been studied extensively due to challenges in synthesis and a lack of adequate parent phases. Here, we use aberration-corrected analytical scanning transmission electron microscopy to identify the atomic structure and chemistry of a perovskite oxide interface that exhibits different B-site ordering periodicity on the atomic scale. The interface is formed from the 1:1 B-site-ordered double-perovskite Sr2Fe1+xRe1-xO6 and the 1:2 B-site-ordered triple-perovskite Sr3Fe2ReO9. First-principles calculations on the superlattice model with the same modulation of B-site ordering periodicity observed experimentally show that magnetic coupling between Fe and Re atoms at the interface results in characteristics of ferromagnetism, in contrast to the antiferromagnetic nature of the parent phases. The results suggest that tailoring of B-site ordering periodicity for tuning interfacial magnetism at perovskite oxide interfaces can be potentially applied in epitaxial growth of superlattice thin films with magnetically engineered interfaces.

Authors 10

1. Jie Ren

   City University of Hong Kong · City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute

   Affiliation as printed

   City University of Hong Kong , , ,

   City University of Hong Kong Matter Science Research Institute (Futian, Shenzhen) , ,

   City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute , , ,

2. Ping-Luen Ho

   University of Oxford · Imperial College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Imperial College London , , ,

   University of Oxford , , ,

3. Lei Jin

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , , ,

4. Si‐Young Choi

   Pohang University of Science and Technology · Institute for Basic Science

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , , ,

   Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , , ,

5. Rafal E. Dunin‐Borkowski

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , , ,

6. Joachim Mayer Aachen

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH , , ,

   RWTH Aachen University , , ,

7. Sandrine E. M. Heutz

   Imperial College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Imperial College London , , ,

8. Michele Conroy

   Imperial College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Imperial College London , , ,

9. Shik Chi Edman Tsang

   University of Oxford

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Oxford , , ,

10. Xiaoyan Zhong

    City University of Hong Kong · City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    City University of Hong Kong , , ,

    City University of Hong Kong Matter Science Research Institute (Futian, Shenzhen) , ,

    City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute , , ,