Manipulating Strongly Interacting Electrons on Nanoscale

Presented by Jak Tchakhalian, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Complex oxides are a class of materials containing a variety of competing strong interactions that create a subtle balance to define the lowest energy state, which leads to a wide variety of interesting properties (e.g. superconductivity, magnetism,...). By utilizing the bulk properties of these materials as a starting point, interfaces between different classes of oxides offer an opportunity to break the symmetry present in the bulk and alter the local environment. Utilizing the advances in oxide growth, one can now combine materials with distinctly different and even competing orders to create new materials in the form of heterostructures. The broken symmetry, strain, and altered environments at the interfaces then provide a unique avenue to manipulate this subtle balance and perhaps even create novel phases not attainable in bulk. To understand these phases however requires detailed studies of the heterostructure properties. Here I will touch on several recent examples to illustrate how to synthesize these unusual nanostructures and how the application of synchrotron radiation offers the ability to probe bulk vs interface properties to gain unique insight into the underlying physics. J. Chakhalian et al, Nature Physics, v2, 244 (2006). J. Chakhalian et al, Science, v. 314, 1114, (2007).