Spin-Polarized 2D Electron Gas at the EuTiO3/EuO Interface

Abstract

Perovskite oxide heterostructures have provided opportunities for new technologies and materials with novel properties.In particular, researchers have been interested in the magnetism and two-dimensional electron gases that form at the interface of many of these heterostructures. Often, these properties are due to polar discontinuities, but here we use first-principles calculations to examine a heterostructure whose elements, EuO and EuTiO3, are both non-polar, yet are still conductive due to oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, the free electrons at the interface of this heterostructure are predicted to be spin-polarized, opening up possibilities for future research and devices.