Ru-Ru Dimers in honeycomb-layered Li$_{2}$RuO$_{3}$

ORAL

Abstract

Dark-field transmission electron microscopy and sub-{\AA} aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) have been used to investigate the local structural properties of Li$_{2}$RuO$_{3}$ We found intriguing Ru-Ru dimerization in the Ru honeycomb skeletons associated with the spin-orbital coupling of the 4$d$ electrons below 540 K. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the Ru-Ru dimers can be delicately broken through various antiphase boundaries and chemical doping. Soliton-like walls in the Ru-Ru dimer lattice are unambiguously observed in real space, and are found to order in a periodic manner for particular situations. The correlation between macroscopic physical properties and local structural distortions in the Li$_{2}$RuO$_{3}$ will be discussed in detail.

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Authors

  • Fei-Ting Huang

    Rutgers University

  • J.J. Yang

    Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Laboratory for Pohang Emergent Materials and Department of Physics, Pohang University

  • Y.Z. Wang

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • Y. Horibe

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University

  • S.-W. Cheong

    Rutgers University, Department of Physics, Rutgers University, Rutgers University, NJ, USA, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers U., NJ, USA, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers University, Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway 08854, NJ, USA