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Quantum confinement in oxide quantum wells

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Abstract

Quantum wells created from nanostructured transition metal oxides offer unique possibilities for creating and manipulating quantum states of matter, including novel superconductors, high Curie temperature magnets, controllable metal-insulator transitions, and new topological states. This article explores what is known and conjectured about confined electronic states in oxide quantum wells. Theoretical challenges are reviewed, along with issues arising in the creation of oxide quantum wells. Examples from the current experimental state of the art are summarized, open questions are discussed, and prospects for the future are outlined. The key roles of epitaxial strain and proximity effects are emphasized.

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Acknowledgments

S.S. would like to acknowledge discussions and collaborations with Jim Allen, Leon Balents, Pouya Moetakef, Clayton Jackson, Dmitri Klenov, Jack Zhang, Jinwoo Hwang, Junwoo Son, Chris Van de Walle, Anderson Janotti, Siddharth Rajan, David Goldhaber-Gordon, and Jimmy Williams. She also thanks Adam Kajdos, Jack Zhang, Jinwoo Hwang, and Clayton Jackson for help with some of the figures for this article. Work at UCSB was supported by the Army Research Office (Grant No. W911-NF-09–1-0398), the US National Science Foundation (Grant Nos. DMR-1006640 and DMR-1121053), the US Department of Energy (Award No. DE-FG02–02ER45994), and DARPA (Award No. W911NF-12–1-0574). A.J.M. thanks Hanghui Chen, Hung Dang, M.J. Han, Chungwei Lin, Peter Littlewood, Chris Marianetti, Satoshi Okamoto, Hyowon Park, Seyoung Park, Darrell Schlom, and Jean-Marc Triscone for collaborations and discussions and the US Department of Energy (Award No. DOE-FG-BES2–04ER46169) and the US Army Research Office (Award W911NF-09–1-0345) for support.

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  1. Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Susanne Stemmer

  2. Department of Physics, Columbia University, NY, USA

    Andrew J. Millis

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Stemmer, S., Millis, A.J. Quantum confinement in oxide quantum wells. MRS Bulletin 38, 1032–1039 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2013.265

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