Disorder in Metallic Correlated-Electron SrVO₃ Films

Correlated electron systems garner interest for their fundamental physics and their potential for novel electronics. For decades, numerous methods have been applied to vary the electron-electron interaction and study their electronic structure. SrVO₃ is a correlated metal with 3d¹ electron configuration and a cubic perovskite structure; therefore, it is an attractive case study for Mott-Hubbard materials. Moreover, this material system recently received considerable attention for its potential as transparent conductive oxide (TCO). In this work, we grow epitaxial SrVO₃ thin films and study the impact of disorder on their electronic properties. We generate and investigate varying degrees of structural disorder, discuss its origins and pinpoint its effects in determining the transport properties. This work emphasizes the role of disorder in correlated systems, highlighting the need to decouple it for an accurate understanding of their intrinsic electronic structure.