Moir\'e Engineering of Electronic Phenomena in Correlated Oxides

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of electronic moiré patterns in epitaxial oxide films, revealing a new method to control electronic and magnetic properties through strain-induced moiré textures.

Contribution

It introduces moiré engineering in strained epitaxial oxide films, expanding beyond van der Waals heterostructures to control electronic phenomena.

Findings

Moiré patterns observed in LSMO films via nano-imaging

Electronic conductivity modulated by moiré textures

Ferromagnetism affected by periodic moiré patterns

Abstract

Moir\'e engineering has recently emerged as a capable approach to control quantum phenomena in condensed matter systems. In van der Waals heterostructures, moir\'e patterns can be formed by lattice misorientation between adjacent atomic layers, creating long range electronic order. To date, moir\'e engineering has been executed solely in stacked van der Waals multilayers. Herein, we describe our discovery of electronic moir\'e patterns in films of a prototypical magnetoresistive oxide La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates. Using scanning probe nano-imaging, we observe microscopic moir\'e profiles attributed to the coexistence and interaction of two distinct incommensurate patterns of strain modulation within these films. The net effect is that both electronic conductivity and ferromagnetism of LSMO are modulated by periodic moir\'e textures extending over mesoscopic scales. Our work provides an entirely new route with potential to achieve spatially patterned electronic textures on demand in strained epitaxial materials.