Interface physics in complex oxide heterostructures

Abstract

Complex transition metal oxides span a wide range of crystalline structures and play host to an incredible variety of physical phenomena. High dielectric permittivities, piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity are just a few of the functionalities offered by this class of materials, while the potential for applications of the more exotic properties like high temperature superconductivity and colossal magnetoresistance is still waiting to be fully exploited. With recent advances in deposition techniques, the structural quality of oxide heterostructures now rivals that of the best conventional semiconductors, taking oxide electronics to a new level. Such heterostructures have enabled the fabrication of artificial multifunctional materials. At the same time they have exposed a wealth of phenomena at the boundaries where compounds with different structural instabilities and electronic properties meet, giving unprecedented access to new physics emerging at oxide interfaces. Here we highlight some of these exciting new interface phenomena.