Artificial crystals synthesized by atomic-scale epitaxy provides the ability to control the dimensions of the quantum phases and associated phase transitions via precise thickness modulation. In particular, reduction in dimensionality via quantized control of atomic layers is a powerful approach to revealing hidden electronic and magnetic phases. Here, we demonstrate a dimensionality-controlled and induced metal-insulator transition (MIT) in atomically designed superlattices by synthesizing a genuine two dimensional (2D) SrRuO3 crystal with highly suppressed charge transfer. The tendency to ferromagnetically align the spins in SrRuO3 layer diminishes in 2D as the interlayer exchange interaction vanishes, accompanying the 2D localization of electrons. Furthermore, electronic and magnetic instabilities in the two SrRuO3 unit cell layers induce a thermally-driven MIT along with a metamagnetic transition.
@article{arxiv.1911.10665,
title = {Phase Instability amid Dimensional Crossover in Artificial Oxide Crystal},
author = {Seung Gyo Jeong and Taewon Min and Sungmin Woo and Jiwoong Kim and Yu-Qiao Zhang and Seong Won Cho and Jaeseok Son and Young-Min Kim and Jung Hoon Han and Sungkyun Park and Hu Young Jeong and Hiromichi Ohta and Suyoun Lee and Tae Won Noh and Jaekwang Lee and Woo Seok Choi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1911.10665},
year = {2020}
}