A light on emerging phenomena tuned by strain, doping or proximity in transition metal oxides

Abstract

Emergent phenomena in transition metal oxides, such as charge density and spin waves, the phase strange metal, formation of Fermi arcs, between others, and their possible relations with non conventional superconductivity has been subject of countless studies in the last decades. The range of research topics increases even more in low-dimensional systems, with possibilities of mechanical deformation, interface effects and creation of heterostructures. The main advances in this area usually occur when new parameters previously unexplored are finally accessed and studied by advanced characterization techniques. In this project we propose the synthesis, structural characterization and study by spectroscopic techniques of samples of the systems YBa2Cu2O7-d, Sr2IrO4 or SrTiO3, and possible correlated materials, exploring variables as uniaxial strain, doping and interface effects. Our main goal is identify and tune emergent phenomena utilizing variables little used so far. To achieve this goal, the main technical innovation proposed involves the synthesis of thin films "stand alone", i. e., free of the substrate and that can be adhered on flexible polymeric tapes, as kapton, and later be elongated by strain cells. The project also involves the synthesis and investigation of conventional thin films, heterostructures and bulk materials, as intermediary steps. The growth of the films is realized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The materials obtained will be characterized/investigated by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electric resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption and inelastic resonant scattering of X-rays (RIXS). The project proposed here aggregate competences of the Group of Optical and Magnetic Properties of Solids (GPOMS-IFGW- UNICAMP), the In-Situ Growth Laboratory (LCIS-LNNano) and the group IPÊ-LNLS. (AU)