Metallicity in LaTiO3 thin films induced by lattice deformation
Abstract
Orthorhombic bulk LaTiO3 is a correlated Mott insulator whose delicate antiferromagnetic insulating ground state can be easily destroyed by cation vacancies, excess oxygen, or alkaline-earth dopants, resulting in metallicity. Here we show that metallic conduction can also be realized in epitaxial LaTiO3 thin films on (001) SrTiO3 substrates, while films grown on (110) DyScO3 and GdScO3 substrates are insulating. These results illustrate the sensitivity of electrical transport to lattice effects and demonstrate the tunability of correlated oxide thin-film properties via substrate-induced deformation.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- April 2010
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2010PhRvB..81p1101W
- Keywords:
-
- 71.30.+h;
- 81.15.-z;
- 73.61.-r;
- 72.80.Ga;
- Metal-insulator transitions and other electronic transitions;
- Methods of deposition of films and coatings;
- film growth and epitaxy;
- Electrical properties of specific thin films;
- Transition-metal compounds