TY - JOUR
T1 - Atomic and electronic structure of the YBa2 Cu3 O7 / SrTiO3 interface from first principles
AU - Wang, Zhongchang
AU - Tsukimoto, Susumu
AU - Saito, Mitsuhiro
AU - Ikuhara, Yuichi
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The atomic structure, adhesion energy, and bonding nature of the YBa 2 Cu3 O7 (001) / SrTiO3 (001) interface are systematically investigated from first principles. A total of 48 candidate interface geometries, which involve two SrTiO3 terminations, six YBa2 Cu3 O7 terminations, and four highly symmetric stacking sequences, were considered. Although the SrTiO3 substrate has a negligible effect on the atomic structure of optimal TiO2-terminated interface, its electronic influence is significant: the electronic states of interfacial O of YBa2 Cu 3 O7 resemble those of O in bulk SrTiO3 rather than bulk YBa2 Cu3 O7. Consequently, the interfacial O of YBa2 Cu3 O7 can be reasonably regarded as a natural extension of substrate layer across the interface. However, the effect of substrate on the optimal SrO-terminated interface is twofold characterized atomically by straightening the originally zigzag interfacial YBa2 Cu3 O7 layer and electronically by altering noticeably the density of states projected on this layer. In addition, the substrate is found to affect the interface chemistry via tuning effectively the first monolayer of the YBa2 Cu3 O7 film.The preferred geometries (i.e., having the largest adhesion energy) are those that maintain the substrate perovskite stacking across the interface. By applying several methods of analysis, we thoroughly characterized electronic structure and determined that interfacial bonding is mainly ionic, yet maintains a small degree of covalency.
AB - The atomic structure, adhesion energy, and bonding nature of the YBa 2 Cu3 O7 (001) / SrTiO3 (001) interface are systematically investigated from first principles. A total of 48 candidate interface geometries, which involve two SrTiO3 terminations, six YBa2 Cu3 O7 terminations, and four highly symmetric stacking sequences, were considered. Although the SrTiO3 substrate has a negligible effect on the atomic structure of optimal TiO2-terminated interface, its electronic influence is significant: the electronic states of interfacial O of YBa2 Cu 3 O7 resemble those of O in bulk SrTiO3 rather than bulk YBa2 Cu3 O7. Consequently, the interfacial O of YBa2 Cu3 O7 can be reasonably regarded as a natural extension of substrate layer across the interface. However, the effect of substrate on the optimal SrO-terminated interface is twofold characterized atomically by straightening the originally zigzag interfacial YBa2 Cu3 O7 layer and electronically by altering noticeably the density of states projected on this layer. In addition, the substrate is found to affect the interface chemistry via tuning effectively the first monolayer of the YBa2 Cu3 O7 film.The preferred geometries (i.e., having the largest adhesion energy) are those that maintain the substrate perovskite stacking across the interface. By applying several methods of analysis, we thoroughly characterized electronic structure and determined that interfacial bonding is mainly ionic, yet maintains a small degree of covalency.
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U2 - 10.1063/1.3257264
DO - 10.1063/1.3257264
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70450273063
VL - 106
JO - Journal of Applied Physics
JF - Journal of Applied Physics
SN - 0021-8979
IS - 9
M1 - 093714
ER -