Frustrated rare-earth pyrochlore titanates, YbTiO and TbTiO, have been proposed as promising candidates to realize quantum spin ice (QSI). Multiple exotic quantum phases, including Coulombic ferromagnet, quantum valence bond solid, and quadrupolar ordering, have been predicted to emerge in the QSI state upon the application of a (111)-oriented external magnetic field. Here, we report on the successful layer-by-layer growth of thin films of the frustrated quantum pyrochlores, RTiO (, Yb, and Tb), along the (111) direction. We confirm their high crystallinity and proper chemical composition by a combination of methods, including in situ RHEED, x-ray diffraction, reciprocal space mapping, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The availability of large area (111)-oriented QSI structures with planar geometry offers a new complementary to the bulk platform to explore the strain and the magnetic field-dependent properties in the quasi-2D limit.
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Epitaxial stabilization of (111)-oriented frustrated quantum pyrochlore thin films
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14 January 2021
Research Article|
January 08 2021
Epitaxial stabilization of (111)-oriented frustrated quantum pyrochlore thin films
Special Collection:
Topological Materials and Devices
Fangdi Wen
;
Fangdi Wen
a)
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: fangdi.wen@rutgers.edu
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Tsung-Chi Wu
;
Tsung-Chi Wu
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Xiaoran Liu
;
Xiaoran Liu
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Michael Terilli;
Michael Terilli
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Mikhail Kareev;
Mikhail Kareev
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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Jak Chakhalian
Jak Chakhalian
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University
, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: fangdi.wen@rutgers.edu
Note: This paper is part of the Special Topic on Topological Materials and Devices.
J. Appl. Phys. 129, 025302 (2021)
Article history
Received:
October 30 2020
Accepted:
December 15 2020
Citation
Fangdi Wen, Tsung-Chi Wu, Xiaoran Liu, Michael Terilli, Mikhail Kareev, Jak Chakhalian; Epitaxial stabilization of (111)-oriented frustrated quantum pyrochlore thin films. J. Appl. Phys. 14 January 2021; 129 (2): 025302. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0035702
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