scholarly journals Charge order textures induced by non-linear lattice coupling in a half-doped manganite

Author(s):  
Ismail El Baggari ◽  
David Baek ◽  
Michael Zachman ◽  
Di Lu ◽  
Yasuyuki Hikita ◽  
...  

Abstract The self-organization of strongly interacting electrons into superlattice structures underlies the properties of many quantum materials. How these electrons arrange within the superlattice dictates what symmetries are broken and what ground states are stabilized. Here we show that cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy enables direct mapping of local symmetries and order at the intra-unit-cell level in the model charge-ordered system Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3. In addition to imaging the prototypical site-centered charge order, we discover the nanoscale coexistence of an exotic intermediate state which mixes site and bond order and breaks inversion symmetry. We further show that nonlinear coupling of distinct lattice modes controls the selection between competing ground states. The results demonstrate the importance of lattice coupling for understanding and manipulating the character of electronic self-organization and highlight a novel method for probing local order in a broad range of strongly correlated systems.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail El Baggari ◽  
David J. Baek ◽  
Michael J. Zachman ◽  
Di Lu ◽  
Yasuyuki Hikita ◽  
...  

AbstractThe self-organization of strongly interacting electrons into superlattice structures underlies the properties of many quantum materials. How these electrons arrange within the superlattice dictates what symmetries are broken and what ground states are stabilized. Here we show that cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy (cryo-STEM) enables direct mapping of local symmetries and order at the intra-unit-cell level in the model charge-ordered system Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3. In addition to imaging the prototypical site-centered charge order, we discover the nanoscale coexistence of an exotic intermediate state which mixes site and bond order and breaks inversion symmetry. We further show that nonlinear coupling of distinct lattice modes controls the selection between competing ground states. The results demonstrate the importance of lattice coupling for understanding and manipulating the character of electronic self-organization and that cryo-STEM can reveal local order in strongly correlated systems at the atomic scale.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (7) ◽  
pp. 1445-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail El Baggari ◽  
Benjamin H. Savitzky ◽  
Alemayehu S. Admasu ◽  
Jaewook Kim ◽  
Sang-Wook Cheong ◽  
...  

Incommensurate charge order in hole-doped oxides is intertwined with exotic phenomena such as colossal magnetoresistance, high-temperature superconductivity, and electronic nematicity. Here, we map, at atomic resolution, the nature of incommensurate charge–lattice order in a manganite using scanning transmission electron microscopy at room temperature and cryogenic temperature (∼93 K). In diffraction, the ordering wave vector changes upon cooling, a behavior typically associated with incommensurate order. However, using real space measurements, we discover that the ordered state forms lattice-locked regions over a few wavelengths interspersed with phase defects and changing periodicity. The cations undergo picometer-scale (∼6 pm to 11 pm) transverse displacements, suggesting that charge–lattice coupling is strong. We further unearth phase inhomogeneity in the periodic lattice displacements at room temperature, and emergent phase coherence at 93 K. Such local phase variations govern the long-range correlations of the charge-ordered state and locally change the periodicity of the modulations, resulting in wave vector shifts in reciprocal space. These atomically resolved observations underscore the importance of lattice coupling and phase inhomogeneity, and provide a microscopic explanation for putative “incommensurate” order in hole-doped oxides.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 623
Author(s):  
Nazaret Ruiz ◽  
Verónica Braza ◽  
Alicia Gonzalo ◽  
Daniel Fernández ◽  
Teresa Ben ◽  
...  

Superlattice structures (SLs) with type-II (GaAsSb/GaAsN) and -I (GaAsSbN/GaAs) band alignments have received a great deal of attention for multijunction solar cell (MJSC) applications, as they present a strongly intensified luminescence and a significant external quantum efficiency (EQE), with respect to the GaAsSbN bulk layers. Despite the difficulties in characterizing the distribution of N in dilute III-V nitride alloys, in this work we have obtained N-compositional mappings before and after rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in both types of structures, by using a recent methodology based on the treatment of different scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging configurations. Texture analysis by gray level co-occurrence matrixes (GLCM) and the measurement of the degree of clustering are used to compare and evaluate the compositional inhomogeneities of N. Comparison with the Sb maps shows that there is no spatial correlation between the N and Sb distributions. Our results reveal that a better homogeneity of N is obtained in type-I SLs, but at the expense of a higher tendency of Sb agglomeration, and the opposite occurs in type-II SLs. The RTA treatments improve the uniformity of N and Sb in both designs, with the annealed sample of type-II SLs being the most balanced structure for MJSCs.


1991 ◽  
Vol 220 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. T. Pike ◽  
R. A. A. Kubiak ◽  
E. H. C. Parker ◽  
T. E. Whall

ABSTRACTA candidate GeSi buffer layer structure suitable for strain-symmetrised GeSi/Si superlattice overgrowth is grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and its strain state characterised using microdiffraction in a dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope. The structure consists of five alloy layers of increasing Ge concentration grown on a Si (100) substrate, with all but the last annealed at high temperature. Analysis of higher order Laue zone deficit lines in the microdiffraction patterns acquired from each layer indicate that relaxation is complete in all the layers. Images of the structure in the transmission electron microscope show good crystallinity of the final layer with low concentrations of threading dislocations.


Author(s):  
A. V. Crewe

The high resolution STEM is now a fact of life. I think that we have, in the last few years, demonstrated that this instrument is capable of the same resolving power as a CEM but is sufficiently different in its imaging characteristics to offer some real advantages.It seems possible to prove in a quite general way that only a field emission source can give adequate intensity for the highest resolution^ and at the moment this means operating at ultra high vacuum levels. Our experience, however, is that neither the source nor the vacuum are difficult to manage and indeed are simpler than many other systems and substantially trouble-free.


Author(s):  
J. S. Wall ◽  
J. P. Langmore ◽  
H. Isaacson ◽  
A. V. Crewe

The scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) constructed by the authors employs a field emission gun and a 1.15 mm focal length magnetic lens to produce a probe on the specimen. The aperture size is chosen to allow one wavelength of spherical aberration at the edge of the objective aperture. Under these conditions the profile of the focused spot is expected to be similar to an Airy intensity distribution with the first zero at the same point but with a peak intensity 80 per cent of that which would be obtained If the lens had no aberration. This condition is attained when the half angle that the incident beam subtends at the specimen, 𝛂 = (4𝛌/Cs)¼


Author(s):  
L. Gandolfi ◽  
J. Reiffel

Calculations have been performed on the contrast obtainable, using the Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope, in the observation of thick specimens. Recent research indicates a revival of an earlier interest in the observation of thin specimens with the view of comparing the attainable contrast using both types of specimens.Potential for biological applications of scanning transmission electron microscopy has led to a proliferation of the literature concerning specimen preparation methods and the controversy over “to stain or not to stain” in combination with the use of the dark field operating mode and the same choice of technique using bright field mode of operation has not yet been resolved.


Author(s):  
J. M. Cowley

The comparison of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) can best be made by means of the Reciprocity Theorem of wave optics. In Fig. 1 the intensity measured at a point A’ in the CTEM image due to emission from a point B’ in the electron source is equated to the intensity at a point of the detector, B, due to emission from a point A In the source In the STEM. On this basis it can be demonstrated that contrast effects In the two types of instrument will be similar. The reciprocity relationship can be carried further to include the Instrument design and experimental procedures required to obtain particular types of information. For any. mode of operation providing particular information with one type of microscope, the analagous type of operation giving the same information can be postulated for the other type of microscope. Then the choice between the two types of instrument depends on the practical convenience for obtaining the required Information.


Author(s):  
James F. Hainfeld ◽  
Kyra M. Alford ◽  
Mathias Sprinzl ◽  
Valsan Mandiyan ◽  
Santa J. Tumminia ◽  
...  

The undecagold (Au11) cluster was used to covalently label tRNA molecules at two specific ribonucleotides, one at position 75, and one at position 32 near the anticodon loop. Two different Au11 derivatives were used, one with a monomaleimide and one with a monoiodacetamide to effect efficient reactions.The first tRNA labeled was yeast tRNAphe which had a 2-thiocytidine (s2C) enzymatically introduced at position 75. This was found to react with the iodoacetamide-Aun derivative (Fig. 1) but not the maleimide-Aun (Fig. 2). Reaction conditions were 37° for 16 hours. Addition of dimethylformamide (DMF) up to 70% made no improvement in the labeling yield. A high resolution scanning transmission electron micrograph (STEM) taken using the darkfield elastically scattered electrons is shown in Fig. 3.


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