Single Layer Control of Nanoscale Metal–Insulator Transition at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Interface
At a Glance
Section titled “At a Glance”| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2024-09-19 |
| Journal | Nano Letters |
| Authors | Dawei Qiu, Changjian Ma, Danqing Liu, Zhiyuan Qin, Qianyi Zhao |
| Institutions | University of Science and Technology of China |
| Citations | 3 |
Abstract
Section titled “Abstract”Modern quantum device fabrication often requires precisely adding and removing materials <i>in situ</i> at nanoscales, which is challenging for high-quality correlated oxide devices. In this work, we present a novel nanofabrication method that remotely controls the interfacial metal-insulator transition at the LaAlO<sub>3</sub>/SrTiO<sub>3</sub> interface by selectively removing an LaAlO<sub>3</sub> overlayer using a diamond tip. Remarkably, we observe a large force window within which single atomic layer precision of control is achievable. Our results confirm the critical thickness and charge transfer mechanism through a layer-by-layer removal process at the interface. Additionally, high-quality nanodevices, including nanochannels and single electron transistors, are successfully fabricated using this method. This nonvolatile and high-precision nanofabrication method provides a promising oxide platform for quantum engineering by harnessing the rich electron correlations at the nanoscale.