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Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Sputter Growth and Characterization of Metamagnetic B2-ordered FeRh Epilayers
Published on: October 5, 2013
Polyhedron and Charge Ordering in Interfacial Reconstruction of a Hexagonal Ferrite/Sapphire Heterostructure
Yang Zhang1, Wenlong Si1, Rong Yu1
1National Center for Electron Microscopy in Beijing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, The State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Interfacial reconstruction, emanating from the symmetry breaking at the interface, plays a key role in modulating the microstructures and properties of heterostructures. The appeal of revealing such a reconstruction resides in the underlying mechanism connected to the function of heterostructures and new insights into designing a new interface device. Here, we demonstrate an interfacial reconstruction in a large lattice-mismatch system, h-LuFeO3/α-Al2O3 heterostructure. Combining the atomic-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of scanning transmission electron microscopy, the periodic variation of FeO immediate coordination and charge ordering of iron are revealed, indicating a strong lattice-charge coupling in the reconstruction. Such a reconstruction reported here suggests that polyhedral and electronic flexibility is important for the reconstruction formation and presents possibilities for further construction of more functional heterostructures.
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