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1. Direct observation of polarization-induced two-dimensional electron/hole gases at ferroelectric-insulator interface

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00389-4  

   Huyan, Huaixun; Addiego, Christopher; Yan, Xingxu; Gadre, Chaitanya A.; Melville, Alexander; Schlom, Darrell G.; Pan, Xiaoqing (October 2021, npj Quantum Materials)

   Abstract Two-dimensional electron gas or hole gas (2DEG or 2DHG) and their functionalities at artificial heterostructure interfaces have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Many theoretical calculations and recent experimental studies have shown the formation of alternating 2DEG and 2DHG at ferroelectric/insulator interfaces, such as BiFeO₃/TbScO₃, depending on the different polarization states. However, a direct observation based on the local charge distribution at the BiFeO₃/TbScO₃interface has yet to be explored. Herein we demonstrate the direct observation of 2DHG and 2DEG at BiFeO₃/TbScO₃interface using four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy and Bader charge analysis. The results show that the measured charge state of each Fe/O columns at the interface undergoes a significant increase/reduction for the polarization state pointing away/toward the interface, indicating the existence of 2DHG/2DEG. This method opens up a path of directly observing charge at atomic scale and provides new insights into the design of future electronic nanodevices. 

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2. Room temperature ferroelectricity and self-biased magnetoelectricity in SmFeO3 nanocomposite by 3D strain engineering

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0279174  

   Bansal, Manisha; Keeney, Lynette; Choudhury, Abhijeet; Huang, Jialong; Wang, Haiyan; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L; Maity, Tuhin (September 2025, APL Electronic Devices)

   Tuning spin and charge degrees of freedom of complex oxide materials can enable significant advancements in future spintronics. In this study, by three dimensional strain engineering, we demonstrate room temperature ferroelectricity and magnetoelectricity in a vertically aligned nanocomposite thin film structure, composed of vertical nanopillars of SmFeO3 (SFO) embedded within the NiFeO4 (NFO) matrix. A three-dimensional tensile strain is induced in the SFO as a result of the unique film architecture. The tensile strain in SFO produces strong room temperature ferroelectric response instead of the normally very weak ferroelectricity of unstrained SFO, which is an improper ferroelectric. The induced ferroelectricity in SFO enables self-biased magnetoelectric coupling to be achieved between the two phases (magnetoelectric coupling coefficient ∼4 × 10−11 sm−1 at room temperature). The magnetoelectric coupling is facilitated by strain transfer across the vertical interfaces of the two phases. We additionally observe an exchange bias of ∼200 Oe (at 2 K) surviving up to the room temperature, indicating strongly coupled interfaces of SFO and NFO. These findings represent a step forward in future magnetoelectric RAM devices. 

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3. Optical spectroscopic detection of Schottky barrier height at a two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide/metal interface

   https://doi.org/10.1039/D3NR05799B  

   Chen, Du; Anantharaman, Surendra B.; Wu, Jinyuan; Qiu, Diana Y.; Jariwala, Deep; Guo, Peijun (February 2024, Nanoscale)

   Atomically thin two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs) have emerged as semiconductors for next-generation nanoelectronics. As 2D-TMD-based devices typically utilize metals as the contacts, it is crucial to understand the properties of the 2D-TMD/metal interface, including the characteristics of the Schottky barriers formed at the semiconductor-metal junction. Conventional methods for investigating the Schottky barrier height (SBH) at these interfaces predominantly rely on contact-based electrical measurements with complex gating structures. In this study, we introduce an all-optical approach for non-contact measurement of the SBH, utilizing high-quality WS2/Au heterostructures as a model system. Our approach employs a below-bandgap pump to excite hot carriers from the gold into WS2 with varying thicknesses. By monitoring the resultant carrier density changes within the WS2 layers with a broadband probe, we traced the dynamics and magnitude of charge transfer across the interface. A systematic sweep of the pump wavelength enables us to determine the SBH values and unveil an inverse relationship between the SBH and the thickness of the WS2 layers. First-principles calculations reveal the correlation between the probability of injection and the density of states near the conduction band minimum of WS2. The versatile optical methodology for probing TMD/metal interfaces can shed light on the intricate charge transfer characteristics within various 2D heterostructures, facilitating the development of more efficient and scalable nano-electronic and optoelectronic technologies. 

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4. Unraveling the Correlation between the Interface Structures and Tunable Magnetic Properties of La _1–x Sr _x CoO _3−δ /La _1–x Sr _x MnO _3−δ Bilayers Using Deep Learning Models

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.3c18773  

   Sun, Hong; Lordi, Vincenzo; Takamura, Yayoi; Samanta, Amit (June 2024, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces)

   Perovskite oxides are gaining significant attention for use in next-generation magnetic and ferroelectric devices due to their exceptional charge transport properties and the opportunity to tune the charge, spin, lattice, and orbital degrees of freedom. Interfaces between perovskite oxides, exemplified by La1−xSrxCoO3−δ/La1−xSrxMnO3−δ (LSCO/LSMO) bilayers, exhibit unconventional magnetic exchange switching behavior, offering a pathway for innovative designs in perovskite oxide-based devices. However, the precise atomic-level stoichiometric compositions and chemophysical properties of these interfaces remain elusive, hindering the establishment of surrogate design principles. We leverage first-principles simulations, evolutionary algorithms, and neural network searches with on-the-fly uncertainty quantification to design deep learning model ensembles to investigate over 50,000 LSCO/LSMO bilayer structures as a function of oxygen deficiency (δ) and strontium concentration (x). Structural analysis of the low-energy interface structures reveals that preferential segregation of oxygen vacancies toward the interfacial La0.7Sr0.3CoO3−δ layers causes distortion of the CoOx polyhedra and the emergence of magnetically active Co2+ ions. At the same time, an increase in the Sr concentration and a decrease in oxygen vacancies in the La0.7Sr0.3MnO3−δ layers tend to retain MnO6 octahedra and promote the formation of Mn4+ ions. Electronic structure analysis reveals that the nonuniform distributions of Sr ions and oxygen vacancies on both sides of the interface can alter the local magnetization at the interface, showing a transition from ferromagnetic (FM) to local antiferromagnetic (AFM) or ferrimagnetic regions. Therefore, the exotic properties of La1−xSrxCoO3−δ/La1−xSrxMnO3−δ are strongly coupled to the presence of hard/soft magnetic layers, as well as the FM to AFM transition at the interface, and can be tuned by changing the Sr concentration and oxygen partial pressure during growth. These insights provide valuable guidance for the precise design of perovskite oxide multilayers, enabling tailoring of their functional properties to meet specific requirements for various device applications. 

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5. Spin-to-charge conversion at KTaO3(111) interfaces

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0247001  

   Al-Tawhid, Athby H; Sun, Rui; Comstock, Andrew H; Kumah, Divine P; Sun, Dali; Ahadi, Kaveh (March 2025, Applied Physics Letters)

   Rashba spin–orbit coupling locks the spin with the momentum of charge carriers at the broken inversion interfaces, which could generate a large spin galvanic response. Here, we demonstrate spin-to-charge conversion (inverse Rashba–Edelstein effect) in KTaO3(111) two-dimensional electron systems. We explain the results in the context of electronic structure, orbital character, and spin texture at the KTaO3(111) interfaces. We also show that the angle dependence of the spin-to-charge conversion on in-plane magnetic field exhibits a nontrivial behavior, which matches the symmetry of the Fermi states. Results point to opportunities to use spin-to-charge conversion as a tool to investigate the electronic structure and spin texture. 

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