Synthesis of high-quality, large-sized (111)-oriented Ho₂Ir₂O₇ thin films

Rare-earth pyrochlore iridates R₂Ir₂O₇ (e.g., R = Y, rare-earth elements) are an exciting class of quantum materials that exhibit emergent electronic and magnetic phenomena. Ho₂Ir₂O₇ has been identified as a spin-ice on the Ho site due to the strong coupling between localized Ho³⁺ 4f-electrons and itinerant Ir⁴⁺ 5d-electrons. However, the physics was significantly underexplored due to the absence of sizable, high-quality single crystals or films. In this talk, we will present our recent advances in hybrid solid phase epitaxy, which led to the first successful synthesis of high-quality, large-sized (111)-oriented Ho₂Ir₂O₇ thin films.