Electrical domain writing and nanoscale potential modulation on LaVO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$

TL;DR

This study demonstrates reversible writing and erasing of nanoscale charge domains on LaVO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ heterostructures, creating controllable potential landscapes that modulate local conductivity, with implications for high-density data storage.

Contribution

It introduces a method to pattern and manipulate charge domains on oxide heterostructures using AFM, enabling reversible control of surface potential and conductivity.

Findings

Charge domains can be written and erased using conductive AFM.

Artificial lattices of charge domains modulate local electrical properties.

Reversible patterning offers potential for ultra-high density storage devices.

Abstract

The high-mobility 2DEGs formed at the interfaces between certain insulating perovskite oxides have been known to be a novel playground of exotic physical orders like, superconductivity and ferromagnetism and their inter-coupling. There have been efforts to accomplish even more exotic properties at such interfaces of oxide heterostructures through nano-structuring of the surface. In this paper we report writing and erasing charge domains on such an oxide heterostructure LaVO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ using a conductive AFM cantilever. We have patterned these domains in a periodic fashion in order to create artificial lattices on the surface. Through kelvin probe microscopy, electrostatic force microscopy and conductivity mapping of such artificial lattices we found that the domains not only trap charge carriers but also develop a controllable potential landscape on the surface which coincides with a modulation of local electrical conductivity. The ability to pattern such nanostructures reversibly offers unprecedented opportunities of realizing ultra-high storage density devices in high mobility oxide heterostructures.