Novel electronic structure induced by a highly strained oxide interface with incommensurate crystal fields

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Jan 16;102(2):026806. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.026806. Epub 2009 Jan 15.

Abstract

The misfit oxide, Bi2Ba1.3K0.6Co2.1O7.94, made of alternating rocksalt-structured [BiO/BaO] layers and hexagonal CoO2 layers, was studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, revealing the electronic structure of a highly strained oxide interface. We found that low-energy states are confined within individual sides of the interface, but scattered by the incommensurate crystal field from the other side. Furthermore, the high strain on the rocksalt layer induces large charge transfer to the CoO2 layer, and a novel effect, the interfacial enhancement of electron-phonon interactions, is discovered.