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The unconventional superconductivity in Sr2RuO4 is infamously susceptible to suppression by small levels of disorder such that it has been most commonly studied in extremely high-purity bulk crystals. Here, we harness local structural and spectroscopic scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements in epitaxial thin films of Sr2RuO4 to disentangle the impact of different types of crystalline disorder on superconductivity. We find that cation off-stoichiometry during growth gives rise to two distinct types of disorder: mixed-phase structural inclusions that accommodate excess ruthenium and ruthenium vacancies when the growth is ruthenium-deficient. Several superconducting films host mixed-phase intergrowths, suggesting this microstructural disorder has relatively little impact on superconductivity. In a non-superconducting film, on the other hand, we measure a high density of ruthenium-vacancies (∼14%) with no significant reduction in the crystallinity of the film. The results suggest that ruthenium vacancy disorder, which is hidden to many structural probes, plays an important role in suppressing superconductivity. We discuss the broader implications of our findings to guide the future synthesis of this and other layered systems.
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Demystifying the growth of superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films
We report the growth of superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films by molecular-beam epitaxy on (110) NdGaO3 substrates with transition temperatures of up to 1.8 K. We calculate and experimentally validate a thermodynamic growth window for the adsorption-controlled growth of superconducting Sr2RuO4 epitaxial thin films. The growth window for achieving superconducting Sr2RuO4 thin films is narrow in growth temperature, oxidant pressure, and ruthenium-to-strontium flux ratio.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1709255
- PAR ID:
- 10594695
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Institute of Physics
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- APL Materials
- Volume:
- 6
- Issue:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 2166-532X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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