Field-effect control of superconductivity and Rashba spin-orbit coupling in top-gated LaAlO3/SrTiO3 devices

The recent development in the fabrication of artificial oxide heterostructures opens new avenues in the field of quantum materials by enabling the manipulation of the charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom. In this context, the discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2-DEGs) at LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interfaces, which exhibit both superconductivity and strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC), represents a major breakthrough. Here, we report on the realisation of a field-effect LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ device, whose physical properties, including superconductivity and SOC, can be tuned over a wide range by a top-gate voltage. We derive a phase diagram, which emphasises a field-effect-induced superconductor-to-insulator quantum phase transition. Magneto-transport measurements show that the Rashba coupling constant increases linearly with the interfacial electric field. Our results pave the way for the realisation of mesoscopic devices, where these two properties can be manipulated on a local scale by means of top-gates.

Limit of the electrostatic doping in two-dimensional electron gases of LaXO₃(X = Al, Ti)/SrTiO₃

In LaTiO₃/SrTiO₃ and LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ heterostructures, the bending of the SrTiO₃ conduction band at the interface forms a quantum well that contains a superconducting two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG). Its carrier density and electronic properties, such as superconductivity and Rashba spin-orbit coupling can be controlled by electrostatic gating. In this article we show that the Fermi energy lies intrinsically near the top of the quantum well. Beyond a filling threshold, electrons added by electrostatic gating escape from the well, hence limiting the possibility to reach a highly-doped regime. This leads to an irreversible doping regime where all the electronic properties of the 2-DEG, such as its resistivity and its superconducting transition temperature, saturate. The escape mechanism can be described by the simple analytical model we propose.

Multiple quantum criticality in a two-dimensional superconductor

The diverse phenomena associated with the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) that occurs at oxide interfaces include, among others, exceptional carrier mobilities, magnetism and superconductivity. Although these have mostly been the focus of interest for potential future applications, they also offer an opportunity for studying more fundamental quantum many-body effects. Here, we examine the magnetic-field-driven quantum phase transition that occurs in electrostatically gated superconducting LaTiO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. Through a finite-size scaling analysis, we show that it belongs to the (2+1)D XY model universality class. The system can be described as a disordered array of superconducting puddles coupled by a 2DEG and, depending on its conductance, the observed critical behaviour is single (corresponding to the long-range phase coherence in the whole array) or double (one related to local phase coherence, the other one to the array). A phase diagram illustrating the dependence of the critical field on the 2DEG conductance is constructed, and shown to agree with theoretical proposals. Moreover, by retrieving the coherence-length critical exponent ν, we show that the quantum critical behaviour can be clean or dirty according to the Harris criterion, depending on whether the phase-coherence length is smaller or larger than the size of the puddles.

Two-dimensional superconducting phase in LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures induced by high-mobility carrier doping

In this Letter, we show that a superconducting two-dimensional electron gas is formed at the LaTiO3/SrTiO3 interface whose transition temperature can be modulated by a back-gate voltage. The gas consists of two types of carriers: a majority of low-mobility carriers always present, and a few high-mobility ones that can be injected by electrostatic doping. The calculation of the electron spatial distribution in the confinement potential shows that the high-mobility electrons responsible for superconductivity set at the edge of the gas whose extension can be tuned by the field effect.

Ion Implantation as an Approach for Structural Modifications and Functionalization of Ti3C2Tx MXenes

MXenes are a young family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides with highly controllable structure, composition, and surface chemistry to adjust for target applications. Here, we demonstrate the modifications of two-dimensional MXenes by low-energy ion implantation, leading to the incorporation of Mn ions in Ti₃C₂T_x (where T_x is a surface termination) thin films. Damage and structural defects caused by the implantation process are characterized at different depths by XPS on Ti 2p core-level spectra, by ToF-SIMS, and with electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses. Results show that the ion-induced alteration of the damage tolerant Ti₃C₂T_x layer is due to defect formation at both Ti and C sites, thereby promoting the functionalization of these sites with oxygen groups. This work contributes to the inspiring approach of tailoring 2D MXene structure and properties through doping and defect formation by low-energy ion implantation to expand their practical applications.

Mode coupling and output beam quality of 100-400 μm core silica fibers

Propagation and mode coupling within relatively short (∼1-10 m) large core, nominally multimode, fibers are of interest in a number of applications. In this research, we have studied the output beam quality and mode coupling in various fibers with core diameters of 100-400 μm and lengths of 2 m. Output beam quality (M2) and mode-coupling coefficients (D) have been studied for different clad dimensions, numerical apertures, and wavelengths. The mode-coupling coefficients have been determined based on modal power diffusion considerations. The results show that D scales approximately as the inverse square of the clad dimension and inverse square root of the wavelength. Output from a 2 m length fiber of 100 μm core and 660 μm clad fiber is close to single mode (M2=1.6), while output from a 200 μm core and 745 μm clad fiber also has high beam quality.

2D versus 3D-Like Electrical Behavior of MXene Thin Films: Insights from Weak Localization in the Role of Thickness, Interflake Coupling and Defects

MXenes stand out from other 2D materials because they combine very good electrical conductivity with hydrophilicity, allowing cost-effective processing as thin films. Therefore, there is a high fundamental interest in unraveling the electronic transport mechanisms at stake in multilayers of the most conducting MXene, Ti3C2Tx. Although weak localization (WL) has been proposed as the dominating low-temperature (LT) transport mechanism in Ti3C2Tx thin films, there have been few attempts to model it quantitatively. In this work, the role of important structural parameters - thickness, interflake coupling, defects - on the dimensionality of the LT transport mechanisms in spin-coated Ti3C2Tx thin films is investigated through LT and magnetic field dependent resistivity measurements. A dimensional crossover from 2D to 3D WL is clearly evidenced when the film thickness exceeds the dephasing length lϕ, estimated here in the 50-100 nm range. 2D WL can be restored by weakening the coupling between adjacent flakes, the intrinsic thickness of which is lower than lϕ, hence acting as parallel 2D conductors. Alternatively, lϕ can be reduced down to the 10 nm range by defects. These results clearly emphasize the ability of WL quantitative study to give deep insights in the physics of electron transport in MXene thin films.

Ti3C2T x MXene Thin Films and Intercalated Species Characterized by IR-to-UV Broadband Ellipsometry

MXenes are two-dimensional (2D) materials with versatile applications in optoelectronics, batteries, and catalysis. To unlock their full potential, it is crucial to characterize MXene interfaces and intercalated species in more detail than is currently possible with conventional optical spectroscopies. Here, we combine ultra-broadband ellipsometry and transmission spectroscopy from the mid-infrared (IR) to the deep-ultraviolet (UV) to probe quantitatively the composition, structure, transport, and optical properties of spray-coated Ti3C2T x MXene thin films with varying material properties. We find film thickness heterogeneity and surface roughness in the low-nanometer range as well as depth-dependent conductivity properties, which we quantify with a graded Drude model. The optically determined sheet resistance is confirmed by four-point probe measurements. Furthermore, we employ density-functional-theory calculations to assign the observed absorption bands in the MXene dielectric function to various interband transitions from mixed MXene surface terminations. The prominent 1.48 eV (833 nm) spectral feature is found to be related to oxygen termination. Additional plasmonic effects are also suggested. Finally, we leverage the chemical sensitivity of state-of-the-art IR ellipsometry to separate the fingerprints of intercalated species within the MXene from the dominant Drude contributions, presenting for the first time a set of infrared optical constants of intercalated water. This work lays the foundation for optical metrology for interface engineering of MXene and other 2D materials.

Easy and computer-time-saving implementation of the van der Pauw method including anisotropy and probe positioning correction factors using approximate closed-form analytical functions

Measurements in a van der Pauw configuration often require the use of complicated mathematical expressions or implicit relations, which may be computer-time-consuming or tedious to implement in a given software. Thus, a closed-form expression is often desirable. We propose to approximate these relations by closed-form analytical functions using only basic operators that can be easily implemented. We present explicitly the functions and the numerical values of their parameters for the cases of standard van der Pauw measurement, anisotropic resistivities, and the probe position correction factor. The discrepancy with the exact values is smaller than 10^-5, which is sufficient for practical purposes.