The role of oxide interfaces in highly confined electronic and ionic conductors

Abstract

Oxides bring not only new properties such as superconductivity, ferro-, pyro-, and piezoelectricity, ferromagnetism, and multi-ferroicity but also ionic and catalytic properties. Such richness arises from a strong interaction between the charge, orbital, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom. Interfacing two oxide-based materials results in broken lattice symmetry as well as electronic and/or atomic reconstructions from which a wealth of new intriguing properties can emerge. Here, we provide an overview and perspective of electronic, ionic, and ionotronic properties in oxide systems with confinement designed by broken lattice symmetry.