2017/06/29 by P. Schütz, D. Di Sante, L. Dudy +10
Physics and Astronomy · #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.119.256404
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 256404 (2017) · 6 pages, 4 figures, cf. arXiv:1706.08901 for a recent complementary study
arxiv created 2017/06/29 · arxiv updated 2017/12/27
Upon reduction of the film thickness we observe a metal-insulator transition in epitaxially stabilized, spin-orbit coupled SrIrO3 ultrathin films. By comparison of the experimental electronic dispersions with density functional theory at various levels of complexity we identify the leading microscopic mechanisms, i.e., a dimensionality-induced re-adjustment of octahedral rotations, magnetism, and electronic correlations. The astonishing resemblance of the band structure in the two-dimensional limit to that of bulk Sr2IrO4 opens new avenues to unconventional superconductivity by "clean" electron doping through electric field gating.