TWO-DIMENSIONAL CONDUCTIVITY AT LaAlO3/SrTiO3 INTERFACES

Abstract

Experiments have observed a two-dimensional electron gas at the interface of two insulating oxides: strontium titanate (SrTiO3) and lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3). These interfaces exhibit metallic, superconducting, and magnetic behaviours, which are strongly affected by impurities. Motivated by experiments, we introduce a simple model in which impurities lie at the interface. We treat the LaAlO3 as an insulator and model the SrTiO3 film. By solving a set of self-consistent Hartree equations for the charge density, we obtain the band structure of the SrTiO3 film. We then study the relative contributions made by the occupied bands to the two-dimensional conductivity of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface. We find that the fractional conductivity of each band depends on several parameters: the mass anisotropy, the filling, and the impurity potential.

Author Keywords: conductivity, impurities, insulating oxides, Two-dimensional electron gases

    Item Description
    Type
    Contributors
    Creator (cre): Raslan, Amany Khalil
    Thesis advisor (ths): Atkinson, Bill
    Degree committee member (dgc): Wortis, Rachel
    Degree committee member (dgc): Gaspari, Franco
    Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University
    Date Issued
    2014
    Date (Unspecified)
    2014
    Place Published
    Peterborough, ON
    Language
    Extent
    77 pages
    Rights
    Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted.
    Subject (Topical)
    Local Identifier
    TC-OPET-10083
    Publisher
    Trent University
    Degree
    Master of Science (M.Sc.): Materials Science