2014/08/19 by Da Woon Jeong, Da‐Woon Jeong, Woo Seok Choi +11 · 35 citations
Materials Science · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Atomic orbital #Band gap #Computer science #Condensed matter physics #Controllability #Curse of dimensionality #Electron #Electronic and Structural Properties of Oxides #Electronic structure #Magnetic and transport properties of perovskites and related materials #Materials science #Mathematics #Mott insulator #Oxide #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Superlattice #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/srep06124
published in Scientific Reports 4(1), 6124 (Nature Portfolio)
openalex publication_date 2014/08/19 · arxiv created 2014/12/22 · arxiv updated 2014/12/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Manipulating the orbital state in a strongly correlated electron system is of fundamental and technological importance for exploring and developing novel electronic phases. Here, we report an unambiguous demonstration of orbital occupancy control between t2g and eg multiplets in quasi-two-dimensional transition metal oxide superlattices (SLs) composed of a Mott insulator LaCoO3 and a band insulator LaAlO3. As the LaCoO3 sublayer thickness approaches its fundamental limit (i.e. one unit-cell-thick), the electronic state of the SLs changed from a Mott insulator, in which both t2g and eg orbitals are partially filled, to a band insulator by completely filling (emptying) the t2g (eg) orbitals. We found the reduction of dimensionality has a profound effect on the electronic structure evolution, which is, whereas, insensitive to the epitaxial strain. The remarkable orbital controllability shown here offers a promising pathway for novel applications such as catalysis and photovoltaics, where the energy of d level is an essential parameter.