Functional nanostructures and interfaces of strontium ruthenates Sr3Ru2O7/Sr2RuO4 eutectic crystals

R. Ciancio; H. Pettersson; J. Börjesson; S. Lopatin; R. Fittipaldi; A. Vecchione; S. Kittaka; Y. Maeno; S. Pace; E. Olsson

doi:10.4081/microscopie.2010.4968

Authors

R. Ciancio
ciancio@tasc.infm.it
Department of Physics “E.R. Caianiello,” University of Salerno and CNR-INFM SuperMat Regional Laboratory, Baronissi (SA), Italy; Department of Applied Physics, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.
H. Pettersson Department of Applied Physics, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.
J. Börjesson Department of Applied Physics, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.
S. Lopatin FEI Company, Achtseweg Noord 5, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
R. Fittipaldi Department of Physics “E.R. Caianiello,” University of Salerno and CNR-INFM SuperMat Regional Laboratory, Baronissi (SA), Italy.
A. Vecchione Department of Physics “E.R. Caianiello,” University of Salerno and CNR-INFM SuperMat Regional Laboratory, Baronissi (SA), Italy.
S. Kittaka Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Y. Maeno Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
S. Pace Department of Physics “E.R. Caianiello,” University of Salerno and CNR-INFM SuperMat Regional Laboratory, Baronissi (SA), Italy.
E. Olsson Department of Applied Physics, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.

Ruddlesden Popper Sr_n+1Ru_nO_3n+1 ruthenates exhibit a wide variety of exceptional properties providing an ideal playground to study new forms of ordering effects such as superconductivity in Sr₂RuO₄. A new normal metal Sr₃Ru₂O₇/superconducting Sr₂RuO₄ eutectic system has been successfully grown. Transport and magnetic studies on the eutectic material revealed the presence of an unexpected superconducting behaviour in the Sr₃Ru₂O₇ domain. Several scenarios have been proposed to explain this unusual behaviour addressing the crucial need of a detailed investigation by local probe techniques. We report the nanostructural characterisation of the Sr3Ru2O7/Sr₂RuO₄ eutectic crystals by transmission electron microscopy and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy. We compared the nanostructure of the Sr₃Ru₂O₇ region of the eutectic with that of Sr₃Ru₂O₇ single-phase crystals in which no superconducting behaviour has ever been observed. We found that Sr₃Ru₂O₇ can be grown with higher purity via eutectic solidification showing only a diluted amount of randomly dispersed Sr₂RuO₄ layers. We also explored the Sr₃Ru₂O₇/Sr₂RuO₄ interfacial nanostructure. Two typologies of interfaces are observed within the eutectic: interfaces parallel to the growth direction are sharp and defect-free whereas interfaces perpendicular to the growth direction appear wavy and decorated with Ru precipitates. An exotic pairing between the Sr₂RuO₄ layers finely dispersed in the Sr₃Ru₂O₇ matrix is suggested as possible scenario for the unusual superconductivity of the Sr₃Ru₂O₇ domain of the eutectic.

Ciancio, R., Pettersson, H., Börjesson, J., Lopatin, S., Fittipaldi, R., Vecchione, A., Kittaka, S., Maeno, Y., Pace, S., & Olsson, E. (2010). Functional nanostructures and interfaces of strontium ruthenates Sr3Ru2O7/Sr2RuO4 eutectic crystals. Microscopie, 13(1), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.4081/microscopie.2010.4968

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