Direct imaging of the coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

TL;DR

This study directly visualizes nanoscale coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, revealing phase separation and localized electrons, with implications for exotic superconducting phenomena.

Contribution

First direct imaging of ferromagnetism and superconductivity coexistence at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, confirming nanoscale phase separation predicted by theory.

Findings

Nanoscale patches of ferromagnetism observed

Weak diamagnetic superconducting susceptibility detected

Majority of electrons are localized and do not contribute to transport

Abstract

LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 are insulating, nonmagnetic oxides, yet the interface between them exhibits a two-dimensional electron system with high electron mobility,1 superconductivity at low temperatures,2-6 and electric-field-tuned metal-insulator and superconductorinsulator phase transitions.3,6-8 Bulk magnetization and magnetoresistance measurements also suggest some form of magnetism depending on preparation conditions5,9-11 and suggest a tendency towards nanoscale electronic phase separation.10 Here we use local imaging of the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility to directly observe a landscape of ferromagnetism, paramagnetism, and superconductivity. We find submicron patches of ferromagnetism in a uniform background of paramagnetism, with a nonuniform, weak diamagnetic superconducting susceptibility at low temperature. These results demonstrate the existence of nanoscale phase separation as suggested by theoretical predictions based on nearly degenerate interface sub-bands associated with the Ti orbitals.12,13 The magnitude and temperature dependence of the paramagnetic response suggests that the vast majority of the electrons at the interface are localized, and do not contribute to transport measurements.3,6,7 In addition to the implications for magnetism, the existence of a 2D superconductor at an interface with highly broken inversion symmetry and a ferromagnetic landscape in the background suggests the potential for exotic superconducting phenomena.