Plasmons at the LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface and Graphene-LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ double layer

TL;DR

This paper investigates plasmon modes at the LAO/STO interface and in a graphene-LAO/STO double layer, providing numerical and analytical insights into their dispersions, damping, and dependence on system parameters.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of plasmon modes in LAO/STO and graphene-LAO/STO systems, including their dispersions, damping behaviors, and the influence of system parameters.

Findings

One optical and multiple acoustic plasmon modes predicted.

Upper acoustic mode can be undamped depending on dielectric properties.

Damping is faster compared to conventional 2DEG systems.

Abstract

We study plasmon modes of the two-dimensional electron gas residing at the interface of band insulators $\rm{LaAlO_3}$ and $\rm{SrTiO_3}$ (LAO/STO) and the plasmon excitations of graphene-LAO/STO double layer as well. Considering the electron-electron interaction within random phase approximation, we calculate the plasmon dispersions of both systems numerically and in the long wavelength limit analytical expressions for collective modes are found. One optical mode and two (three) acoustic modes are predicted for the LAO/STO (graphene-LAO/STO) system where only the uppermost acoustic mode of both systems can emerge above the electron-hole continuum depending on the characteristics of each system. In the case of LAO/STO interface, thanks to the spatial separation between $\rm{t_{2g}}$ orbitals, the upper acoustic mode might be undamped at the long wavelength limit depending on the exact value of the dielectric constant of $\rm{SrTiO_3}$. Same as other double layer systems, the interlayer distance for the graphene-LAO/STO system plays a crucial role in damping the upper acoustic mode. Faster damping of all plasmon modes of the present double layer system in comparison with the ones with conventional 2DEG instead of $\rm{t_{2g}}$ electron gas is also found due to heavier effective masses of the gas and also stronger interlayer Coulomb interaction.