Nano-resolved strain control and polar modulation of the Mott transition in a bilayer ruthenate

ORAL

Abstract

The 4d transition metal oxides of the Can+1RunO3n+1perovskite family have recently garnered interest for their correlated electron physics and strong sensitivity to external stimuli like strain, temperature, and even electric current. These place the n=1,2 members in a rich phase diagram of competing and tunable metallic, magnetic, and insulating phases. The bilayer ruthenate Ca3Ru2O7 exhibits a structural distortion producing a polar metal and, under Ti substitution for Ru, a polar Mott insulator. We report cryogenic (T<100K) infrared nano-imaging (nano-IR) of 5% and 10% Ti-doped crystals revealing spontaneous patterns of striped phase coexistence through the thermal first-order Mott transition, and demonstrate nucleation and manipulation of metallic stripes through in situ uniaxial strain. Energy-resolved nano-IR imaging combined with surface work function mapping reveal suppression or enhancement of the Mott insulating state at polar domain boundaries in the crystal. Verified by second-harmonic polarimetry and transmission electron microscopy, we find the polar orientation and state of charge at these polar domain walls can selectively modulate the Mott transition, thus opening new routes towards manipulation of this canonical insulator-metal transition at sub-micron scales.

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Presenters

  • Alexander Swinton McLeod

    Physics, Columbia University, Columbia University, Department of Physics, Columbia University

Authors

  • Alexander Swinton McLeod

    Physics, Columbia University, Columbia University, Department of Physics, Columbia University

  • Ran Jing

    Department of Physics, Columbia University, Physics, Columbia University

  • Jedrzej Wieteska

    Columbia University, Physics, Columbia University, Department of Physics, Columbia University

  • Benjamin Aaron Foutty

    Physics, Columbia University, Columbia University, Department of Physics, Columbia University

  • Shiming Lei

    Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton University

  • Rui Zu

    Physics, Pennsylvania State University

  • Leixin Miao

    Physics, Pennsylvania State University

  • Kleyser E Agueda Lopez

    Physics, Pennsylvania State University

  • Jin Peng

    Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Physics, Tulane University

  • Zhiqiang Mao

    Pennsylvania State University, Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, Physics and Engineering Physics, Tulane University, Tulane University

  • Danilo Puggioni

    Northwestern University, Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

  • James M Rondinelli

    Northwestern University, Northwestern university, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Univ, Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University

  • Nasim Alem

    Pennsylvania State University, Physics, Pennsylvania State University

  • Venkatraman Gopalan

    Pennsylvania State University, Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Materials Science and Engineering Department, Pennsylvania State University

  • Dimitri Basov

    Department of Physics, Columbia University in the City of New York, Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York 10027, department of physics, columbia university, Department of Physics, Columbia University, Physics, Columbia University, Columbia University