Controlled Electronic and Magnetic Landscape in Self-Assembled Complex Oxide Heterostructures

Complex oxide heterointerfaces contain a rich playground of novel physical properties and functionalities, which give rise to emerging technologies. Among designing and controlling the functional properties of complex oxide film heterostructures, vertically aligned nanostructure (VAN) films using a self-assembling bottom-up deposition method present great promise in terms of structural flexibility and property tunability. Here, we extend the bottom-up self-assembly to a new approach using a mixture containing a 2D layer-by-layer film growth, followed by a 3D VAN film growth. In this work, the two-phase nanocomposite thin films are based on LaAlO₃ :LaBO₃ , grown on lattice-mismatched SrTiO₃₀₀₁ (001) single crystal. The 2D-to-3D transient structural assembly is primarily controlled by the composition ratio, leading to the coexistence of multiple interfacial properties, 2D electron gas and magnetic anisotropy. This approach provides multidimensional film heterostructures which enrich emergent phenomena for multifunctional applications.