# Comparative study of LaNiO$_3$/LaAlO$_3$ heterostructures grown by pulsed laser deposition and oxide molecular beam epitaxy

## TL;DR

This study compares LaNiO3/LaAlO3 heterostructures grown by MBE and PLD, revealing differences in defect structures, interface quality, and electrical properties to guide deposition technique choices.

## Contribution

It provides a direct comparison of MBE and PLD growth methods for complex oxide heterostructures, highlighting their respective advantages and challenges.

## Key findings

- MBE samples have more stacking faults but smoother interfaces.
- MBE samples exhibit higher electrical conductivity.
- Growth method influences defect density and interface quality.

## Abstract

Variations in growth conditions associated with different deposition techniques can greatly affect the phase stability and defect structure of complex oxide heterostructures. We synthesized superlattices of the paramagnetic metal LaNiO3 and the large band gap insulator LaAlO3 by atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and compared their crystallinity, microstructure as revealed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images and resistivity. The MBE samples show a higher density of stacking faults, but smoother interfaces and generally higher electrical conductivity. Our study identifies the opportunities and challenges of MBE and PLD growth and serves as a general guide for the choice of deposition technique for perovskite oxides.