Abstract
Mott metal–insulator transitions possess electronic, magnetic, and structural degrees of freedom promising next-generation energy-efficient electronics. A previously unknown, hierarchically ordered, and anisotropic supercrystal state is reported and its intrinsic formation characterized in-situ during a Mott transition in a Ca2RuO4 thin film. Machine learning-assisted X-ray nanodiffraction together with cryogenic electron microscopy reveal multi-scale periodic domain formation at and below the film transition temperature (TFilm ≈ 200–250 K) and a separate anisotropic spatial structure at and above TFilm. Local resistivity measurements imply an intrinsic coupling of the supercrystal orientation to the material's anisotropic conductivity. These findings add a new degree of complexity to the physical understanding of Mott transitions, opening opportunities for designing materials with tunable electronic properties.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 2403873 |
Journal | Advanced Materials |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 32 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 8 2024 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Materials Science
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanical Engineering