Laterally correlated epitaxial nanoarchitectures enabled by freestanding complex oxide membranes

Heterostructures are epitaxially layered configurations that exhibit one-to-one lattice alignment between different materials along the vertical direction. Such systems often manifest intriguing physical phenomena, including charge transfer, band bending, and lattice distortion, resulting in novel and promising physical properties and functionalities. Consequently, extensive studies on epitaxial heterostructures have been conducted over the past decades. However, conventional epitaxial growth primarily focuses on the vertical stacking of functional materials, overlooking the exploration of twisted lateral homostructures. In the previous year, we developed the so-called "weave epitaxy" technique for the growth and exploration of distinctive interactions within epitaxial twisted lateral homostructures. Utilizing this lateral epitaxy method, we can precisely control the growth of laterally correlated epitaxial nanoarchitectures, offering additional degrees of freedom to create twisted interfaces/junctions and manipulate topological defects, such as phase boundaries, domain walls, and vortices.

To extend the concept further, we employ strongly correlated La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSMO) as a model system. We demonstrate the fabrication of twisted lateral homostructures comprising the same material yet showcasing distinct phases, each presenting entirely different physical properties. Through a combination of X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, and photoemission electron microscopy, we effectively unveil the artificial lateral stacking of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic LSMO segments. Moreover, low-temperature scanning probe microscopy and magnetotransport studies elucidate the controllable charge transport and magnetoresistance within the LSMO twisted lateral homostructures. Additionally, vibrating sample magnetometer measurements have provided crucial insights into the magnetic interactions in the laterally correlated epitaxial nanoarchitectures. We aim to demonstrate that the findings from our recent studies not only offer a versatile approach to developing novel low-dimensional quantum materials but also present a new paradigm for epitaxial growth.