Scientific Articles
Vol. 13 No. 1 (2010)
https://doi.org/10.4081/microscopie.2010.4968

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

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Received: 15 January 2015
Published: 31 March 2010
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Ruthenates, eutectic structure, HRTEM, HAADF.

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 Srn+1RunO3n+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.

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Functional nanostructures and interfaces of strontium ruthenates Sr3Ru2O7/Sr2RuO4 eutectic crystals. (2010). Microscopie, 13(1), 36-43. https://doi.org/10.4081/microscopie.2010.4968

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