Room-temperature giant persistent photoconductivity in SrTiO 3/LaAlO 3 heterostructures

Antonello Tebano, Emiliana Fabbri, Daniele Pergolesi, Giuseppe Balestrino*, Enrico Traversa

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

143 Scopus citations

Abstract

SrTiO 3/LaAlO 3 interfaces show an unprecedented photoconductivity effect that is persistent even at room temperature and giant as it gives rise to a conductivity increase of about 5 orders of magnitude at room temperature. The persistent photoconductivity effects play a paramount role in the still controversial intrinsic behavior of the SrTiO 3/ LaAlO 3 interfaces, as even a limited exposure to visible light is able to strongly modify the electrical transport properties of the interface even above room temperature, while only an appropriate thermal treatment in a dark environment can completely suppress the persistent photoconductivity effect unveiling the intrinsic conduction mechanism of the interface. Moreover, our study demonstrates that the origin of the high conductivity, revealed at the STO/LAO interface at room temperature, is purely electronic.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1278-1283
Number of pages6
JournalACS Nano
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 28 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • SrTiO /LaAlO interfaces
  • electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
  • persistent photocurrent

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering
  • General Materials Science
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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