SrRuO 3 is endowed with three remarkable features. First, it is a moderately correlated material that exhibits several novel physical properties; second, it permits the epitaxial growth of essentially single-crystal films; and third, because it is a good conductor, it has attracted interest as a conducting layer in epitaxial heterostructures with a variety of functional oxides. In this review, the present state of knowledge of SrRuO 3 thin films is summarized. Their role as a model system for studying magnetism and electron transport characterized by intermediate electron correlation and large magnetocrystalline anisotropy is demonstrated. The materials science of SrRuO 3 thin film growth is reviewed, and its relationship to electronic, magnetic, and other physical properties is discussed. Finally, it is argued that, despite all that has been learned, a comprehensive understanding of SrRuO 3 is still lacking and challenges remain.American Physical Society

Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) based on conventional semiconductors such as Si or GaAs have played a pivotal role in fundamental science and technology. The high mobilities achieved in 2DEGs enabled the discovery of the integer and fractional quantum Hall effects and are exploited in high-electron-mobility transistors. Recent work has shown that 2DEGs can also exist at oxide interfaces. These electron gases typically result from reconstruction of the complex electronic structure of the oxides, so that the electronic behavior of the interfaces can differ from the behavior of the bulk. Reports on magnetism and superconductivity in oxide 2DEGs illustrate their capability to encompass phenomena not shown by interfaces in conventional semiconductors. This article reviews the status and prospects of oxide 2DEGs.

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We have performed high field magnetotransport measurements to investigate the interface electron gas in a high mobility SrTiO3/SrCuO2/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructure. Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveal several 2D conduction subbands with carrier effective masses of 0.9me and 2me, quantum mobilities of order 2000 cm2/V s, and band edges only a few millielectronvolts below the Fermi energy. Measurements in tilted magnetic fields confirm the 2D character of the electron gas, and show evidence of inter-subband scattering.

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