Two-dimensional superconducting phase in LaTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures induced by high-mobility carrier doping

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Jun 15;108(24):247004. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.247004. Epub 2012 Jun 15.

Abstract

In this Letter, we show that a superconducting two-dimensional electron gas is formed at the LaTiO3/SrTiO3 interface whose transition temperature can be modulated by a back-gate voltage. The gas consists of two types of carriers: a majority of low-mobility carriers always present, and a few high-mobility ones that can be injected by electrostatic doping. The calculation of the electron spatial distribution in the confinement potential shows that the high-mobility electrons responsible for superconductivity set at the edge of the gas whose extension can be tuned by the field effect.