X-ray study of structural domains in the near-surface region of SrTiO₃ substrates with Y0.6Pr0.4Ba₂Cu₃O₇/La2/3Ca1/3MnO₃ superlattices grown on top

Hoppler, Justin; Stahn, J.; Bouyanfif, Houssny; Malik, Vivek Kumar; Patterson, B. D.; Willmott, P. R.; Cristiani, G.; Habermeier, H.-U.; Bernhard, Christian

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.78.134111

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Journal article

X-ray study of structural domains in the near-surface region of SrTiO₃ substrates with Y_0.6Pr_0.4Ba₂Cu₃O₇/La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ superlattices grown on top

Hoppler, Justin Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETH Zurich Switzerland
Stahn, J. Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETH Zurich Switzerland
Bouyanfif, Houssny Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Malik, Vivek Kumar Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Patterson, B. D. Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
Willmott, P. R. Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
Cristiani, G. Max-Plank-Institut für Festkörperforschung Stuttgart, Germany
Habermeier, H.-U. Max-Plank-Institut für Festkörperforschung Stuttgart, Germany
Bernhard, Christian Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

29.10.2008

Published in:

Physical Review B. - 2008, vol. 78, no. 13, p. 134111

high-temperature superconductors

solid-state phase transformations

English We investigated with synchrotron x-ray diffraction and reflectometry the formation of structural domains in the near-surface region of single crystalline SrTiO₃ (001) substrates with Y_0.6Pr_0.4Ba₂Cu₃O₇/La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ superlattices grown on top. We find that the antiferrodistortive cubic to tetragonal transition, which occurs at T_STO=104 K in the bulk and at a considerably higher temperature of at least 120 K in the surface region of SrTiO₃, has only a weak influence on the domain formation. The strongest changes occur instead in the vicinity of the tetragonal to orthorhombic transition in SrTiO₃ around 65 K where pronounced surface facets develop that reach deep (at least several micrometers) into the SrTiO₃ substrate. These micrometer-sized facets are anisotropic and tilted with respect to one another by up to 0.5° along the shorter direction. Finally, we find that a third structural transition below 30 K gives rise to significant changes in the spread of the c-axis parameters. Overall, our data provide evidence for a strong mutual interaction between the structural properties of the SrTiO₃ surface and the multilayer grown on top.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Physique

Language