We employ density functional theory plus dynamical mean field theory and identify the physical origin of why two layers of SrVO3 on a SrTiO3 substrate are insulating: the thin film geometry lifts the orbital degeneracy which in turn triggers a Mott-Hubbard transition. Two layers of SrVO3 are just at the verge of a Mott-Hubbard transition and hence ideally suited for technological applications of the Mott-Hubbard transition: the heterostructure is highly sensitive to strain, electric field, and temperature. A gate voltage can also turn the insulator into a metal, so that a transistor with ideal on-off (metal-insulator) switching properties is realized.
@article{arxiv.1312.5989,
title = {Electronics with correlated oxides: SrVO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ as a Mott transistor},
author = {Zhicheng Zhong and Markus Wallerberger and Jan M. Tomczak and Ciro Taranto and Nicolaus Parragh and Alessandro Toschi and Giorgio Sangiovanni and Karsten Held},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1312.5989},
year = {2015}
}