TY - JOUR
T1 - Spin-Orbit Semimetal SrIrO3 in the Two-Dimensional Limit
AU - Groenendijk, D. J.
AU - Autieri, C.
AU - Girovsky, J.
AU - Martinez-Velarte, M. Carmen
AU - Manca, N.
AU - Mattoni, G.
AU - Monteiro, Ana M R V L
AU - Gauquelin, N.
AU - Verbeeck, J
AU - Otte, A. F.
AU - Gabay, M.
AU - Picozzi, S.
AU - Caviglia, A. D.
PY - 2017/12/22
Y1 - 2017/12/22
N2 - We investigate the thickness-dependent electronic properties of ultrathin SrIrO3 and discover a transition from a semimetallic to a correlated insulating state below 4 unit cells. Low-temperature magnetoconductance measurements show that spin fluctuations in the semimetallic state are significantly enhanced while approaching the transition point. The electronic properties are further studied by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, showing that 4 unit cell SrIrO3 is on the verge of a gap opening. Our density functional theory calculations reproduce the critical thickness of the transition and show that the opening of a gap in ultrathin SrIrO3 requires antiferromagnetic order.
AB - We investigate the thickness-dependent electronic properties of ultrathin SrIrO3 and discover a transition from a semimetallic to a correlated insulating state below 4 unit cells. Low-temperature magnetoconductance measurements show that spin fluctuations in the semimetallic state are significantly enhanced while approaching the transition point. The electronic properties are further studied by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, showing that 4 unit cell SrIrO3 is on the verge of a gap opening. Our density functional theory calculations reproduce the critical thickness of the transition and show that the opening of a gap in ultrathin SrIrO3 requires antiferromagnetic order.
UR - http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1cff469b-90fe-41bf-b8c6-c1c36db67be2
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85039165866&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.256403
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.256403
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85039165866
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 119
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 25
M1 - 256403
ER -