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Long-range transfer of electron–phonon coupling in oxide superlattices

Abstract

The electron–phonon interaction is of central importance for the electrical and thermal properties of solids, and its influence on superconductivity, colossal magnetoresistance and other many-body phenomena in correlated-electron materials is the subject of intense research at present. However, the non-local nature of the interactions between valence electrons and lattice ions, often compounded by a plethora of vibrational modes, presents formidable challenges for attempts to experimentally control and theoretically describe the physical properties of complex materials. Here we report a Raman scattering study of the lattice dynamics in superlattices of the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) and the colossal-magnetoresistance compound La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 that suggests a new approach to this problem. We find that a rotational mode of the MnO6 octahedra in La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 experiences pronounced superconductivity-induced line-shape anomalies, which scale linearly with the thickness of the YBCO layers over a remarkably long range of several tens of nanometres. The transfer of the electron–phonon coupling between superlattice layers can be understood as a consequence of long-range Coulomb forces in conjunction with an orbital reconstruction at the interface. The superlattice geometry thus provides new opportunities for controlled modification of the electron–phonon interaction in complex materials.

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Figure 1: Raman spectra of superlattices and reference films.
Figure 2: Temperature-dependent phonon frequencies.
Figure 3: Dependence of the YBCO B1g phonon anomaly on YBCO layer thickness.
Figure 4: Dependence of the LCMO Ag(2) phonon anomaly on YBCO layer thickness.

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Acknowledgements

Part of this research project has been supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme Marie Curie action SOPRANO project (Grant No. PITNGA-2008-214040), and by the German Science Foundation under SFB/TRR 80. We are grateful to A. Frano and P. Wochner for discussions and technical assistance.

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Contributions

N.D. and S.B-C. contributed equally to this work. L.M., K.K., G.C., S.S. and H-U.H. provided the superlattices. N.D. and S.B-C. performed the sample characterization and the Raman experiments. N.D., S.B-C. and M.L.T. analysed the data. M.B., M.K. and C.U. participated in the Raman measurements and analysis. G.K. contributed to the discussion and interpretation of the results. M.L.T. and B.K. wrote the manuscript. M.L.T., C.U. and B.K. supervised the project.

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Correspondence to M. Le Tacon or B. Keimer.

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Driza, N., Blanco-Canosa, S., Bakr, M. et al. Long-range transfer of electron–phonon coupling in oxide superlattices. Nature Mater 11, 675–681 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3378

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