Two-Dimensional Electron Gas with High Mobility Forming at BaO/SrTiO_3 Interface

Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with high electron mobility is highly desired to study the emergent properties and to enhance future device performance. Here we report the formation of 2DEG with high mobility at the interface between rock-salt BaO and perovskite SrTiO_3. The interface consists of the ionically compensated BaO_1-\delta layer and the electronically compensated TiO_2 layer, which is demonstrated as a perfect interface without lattice mismatch. The so-formed interface features metallic conductivity with ultralow square resistance of 7.3 \times 10^-4\,\Omega /\square at 2 K and high residual resistance ratios R_\rm 300\,K/R_\rm 2\,K up to 4200. The electron mobility reaches 69000 cm^2\cdotV^-1\cdots^-1 at 2 K, leading to Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations of resistance. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the effective charge transfers from BaO to the Ti 3d_xy orbital occur at the interface, leading to the conducting TiO_2 layer. Our work unravels that BaO can adapt itself by removing oxygen to minimize the lattice mismatch and to provide substantial carriers to SrTiO_3, which is the key to forming 2DEGs with high mobility at the interfaces.