| CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES |
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Contribution of Surface Defects to the Interface Conductivity of SrTiO$_{3}$/LaAlO$_{3}$ |
| Li Guan1,2, Feng-Xue Tan1, Guo-Qi Jia1,2, Guang-Ming Shen1, Bao-Ting Liu1, Xu Li1,2** |
1College of Physical Science and Technology, Hebei University, Baoding 071002
2Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Optic-Electronic Information Materials, Hebei University, Baoding 071002
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| Cite this article: |
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Li Guan, Feng-Xue Tan, Guo-Qi Jia et al 2016 Chin. Phys. Lett. 33 087301 |
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Abstract Based on the first-principles method, the structural stability and the contribution of point defects such as O, Sr or Ti vacancies on two-dimensional electron gas of n- and p-type LaAlO$_{3}$/SrTiO$_{3}$ interfaces are investigated. The results show that O vacancies at p-type interfaces have much lower formation energies, and Sr or Ti vacancies at n-type interfaces are more stable than the ones at p-type interfaces under O-rich conditions. The calculated densities of states indicate that O vacancies act as donors and give a significant compensation to hole carriers, resulting in insulating behavior at p-type interfaces. In contrast, Sr or Ti vacancies tend to trap electrons and behave as acceptors. Sr vacancies are the most stable defects at high oxygen partial pressures, and the Sr vacancies rather than Ti vacancies are responsible for the insulator-metal transition of n-type interface. The calculated results can be helpful to understand the tuned electronic properties of LaAlO$_{3}$/SrTiO$_{3}$ heterointerfaces.
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Received: 06 April 2016
Published: 31 August 2016
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| PACS: |
73.20.-r
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(Electron states at surfaces and interfaces)
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71.15.Mb
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(Density functional theory, local density approximation, gradient and other corrections)
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61.72.-y
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(Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure)
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