RESUMEN
The recent observation of replica bands in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO_{3} by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has triggered intense discussions concerning the potential influence of the FeSe electrons coupling with substrate phonons on the superconducting transition temperature. Here we provide strong evidence that the replica bands observed in the single-layer FeSe/SrTiO_{3} system and several other cases are largely due to the energy loss processes of the escaping photoelectron, resulted from the well-known strong coupling of external propagating electrons to Fuchs-Kliewer surface phonons in ionic materials in general. The photoelectron energy loss in ARPES on single-layer FeSe/SrTiO_{3} is calculated using the demonstrated successful semiclassical dielectric theory in describing low energy electron energy loss spectroscopy of ionic insulators. Our result shows that the observed replica bands are mostly a result of extrinsic photoelectron energy loss and not a result of the electron phonon interaction of the Fe d electrons with the substrate phonons. The strong enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature in these monolayers remains an open question.
RESUMEN
We report on a combined scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculation study of the SrTiO(3) (110)-(4 × 1) surface. It is found that antiphase domains are formed along the [11[over ¯]0]-oriented stripes on the surface. The domain boundaries are decorated by defect pairs consisting of Ti(2)O(3) vacancies and Sr adatoms, which relieve the residual stress. The formation energy of and interactions between vacancies result in a defect superstructure. It is suggested that the density and distributions of defects can be tuned by strain engineering, providing a flexible platform for the designed growth of complex oxide materials.
RESUMEN
The surface reconstruction of SrTiO3(110) is studied with scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The reversible phase transition between (4×1) and (5×1) is controlled by adjusting the surface metal concentration [Sr] or [Ti]. Resolving the atomic structures of the surface, DFT calculations verify that the phase stability changes upon the chemical potential of Sr or Ti. In particular, the density of oxygen vacancies is low on the thermodynamically stabilized SrTiO3(110) surface.
RESUMEN
Titanium monoxide (TiO), an important member of the rock salt 3d transition-metal monoxides, has not been studied in the stoichiometric single-crystal form. It has been challenging to prepare stoichiometric TiO due to the highly reactive Ti2+ We adapt a closely lattice-matched MgO(001) substrate and report the successful growth of single-crystalline TiO(001) film using molecular beam epitaxy. This enables a first-time study of stoichiometric TiO thin films, showing that TiO is metal but in proximity to Mott insulating state. We observe a transition to the superconducting phase below 0.5 K close to that of Ti metal. Density functional theory (DFT) and a DFT-based tight-binding model demonstrate the extreme importance of direct Ti-Ti bonding in TiO, suggesting that similar superconductivity exists in TiO and Ti metal. Our work introduces the new concept that TiO behaves more similar to its metal counterpart, distinguishing it from other 3d transition-metal monoxides.
RESUMEN
The mechanism of the enhanced superconductivity in monolayer FeSe/SrTiO3 has been enthusiastically studied and debated over the past decade. One specific observation has been taken to be of central importance: the replica bands in the photoemission spectrum. Although suggestive of electron-phonon interaction in the material, the essence of these spectroscopic features remains highly controversial. In this work, we conduct angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements on monolayer FeSe/SrTiO3 using linearly polarized photons. This configuration enables unambiguous characterization of the valence electronic structure with a suppression of the spectral background. We consistently observe high-order replica bands derived from various Fe 3d bands, similar to those observed on bare SrTiO3. The intensity of the replica bands is unexpectedly high and different between dxy and dyz bands. Our results provide new insights on the electronic structure of this high-temperature superconductor and the physical origin of the photoemission replica bands.
RESUMEN
The adsorption behavior of Sr adatoms on the SrTiO3 (1 1 0)-(4 × 1) reconstructed surface with Ti2O3 vacancies distributed in a superstructure is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations. With the adsorption amount increasing, all the Sr adatoms between adjacent Ti2O3 vacancies are closely packed along the quasi-1D stripes on the surface with a uniform separation from each other. The formation of such adatom chains is determined by the surface strain relief-the local lattice relaxations in response to Sr adatoms and Ti2O3 vacancies are incompatible, leading to the strong repulsive interaction between them. Consequently the distribution of Sr chains follows the long-range order of the growth template with their length tunable in a certain range by evaporation amount.