中国物理B ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (7): 76802-076802.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ae5a0b

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Modulated reconstruction by epitaxial strain engineering and chemical arrangement in SrNbO3 thin films

Shenggen Cao(曹声根)1,2, Jiali Zhao(赵佳丽)1,2, Hang Li(李航)1,2,†, and Tian Qian(钱天)1,2,3   

  1. 1 Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China;
    2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3 CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049
  • 收稿日期:2026-01-07 修回日期:2026-03-20 接受日期:2026-04-01 出版日期:2026-07-02 发布日期:2026-07-02
  • 通讯作者: Hang Li E-mail:hang.li@iphy.ac.cn
  • 基金资助:
    The authors thank Dr. Meng Meng for his help on the film growth. This work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant Nos. 2023YFA1406100 and 2022YFA1403800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1832202), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB33000000). Most part of this work was carried out at Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF).

Modulated reconstruction by epitaxial strain engineering and chemical arrangement in SrNbO3 thin films

Shenggen Cao(曹声根)1,2, Jiali Zhao(赵佳丽)1,2, Hang Li(李航)1,2,†, and Tian Qian(钱天)1,2,3   

  1. 1 Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China;
    2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3 CAS Center for Excellence in Topological Quantum Computation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049
  • Received:2026-01-07 Revised:2026-03-20 Accepted:2026-04-01 Online:2026-07-02 Published:2026-07-02
  • Contact: Hang Li E-mail:hang.li@iphy.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    The authors thank Dr. Meng Meng for his help on the film growth. This work is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant Nos. 2023YFA1406100 and 2022YFA1403800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1832202), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB33000000). Most part of this work was carried out at Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF).

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摘要： Correlated topological quantum materials hold great promise for next-generation quantum technologies, particularly in fault-tolerant quantum computing and energy-efficient spintronic devices, owing to the intricate interplay between strong electron correlations and topologically nontrivial band structures. To experimentally probe correlation-driven band reconstruction, perovskite oxide heterostructures provide an ideal platform, as their epitaxial films offer versatile degrees of freedom for physical modulation through strain or chemical control. In this work, we systematically fabricate high-quality SrNbO3 thin films via pulsed laser epitaxy and investigate their electronic structures using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Variation of the substrate oxygen stoichiometry drives a transition in the Fermi surface reconstruction from a $\sqrt{2}\!\times\!\sqrt{2}R45^\circ$ pattern on oxygen-deficient SrTiO3 to a $2\times 2$ pattern on stoichiometric substrates. Furthermore, by precisely controlling the epitaxial thickness, we identify the gradual disappearance of the electron-like Fermi surface at the $M$ point with increasing thickness, which might be associated with the relaxation of the $ a^0a^0c^+ $ lattice distortion induced by interfacial epitaxial strain at the SrTiO3 substrate. Our findings demonstrate that band reconstruction in correlated oxides can be effectively modulated through chemistry and thin-film thickness, establishing SrNbO3 as a promising material platform for multifunctional electronic band control. This work provides a prototypical route for exploring the intertwined topological and correlated phenomena in 4d transition-metal oxides under extreme quantum confinement.

关键词: perovskite oxide, strain, reconstruction

Abstract: Correlated topological quantum materials hold great promise for next-generation quantum technologies, particularly in fault-tolerant quantum computing and energy-efficient spintronic devices, owing to the intricate interplay between strong electron correlations and topologically nontrivial band structures. To experimentally probe correlation-driven band reconstruction, perovskite oxide heterostructures provide an ideal platform, as their epitaxial films offer versatile degrees of freedom for physical modulation through strain or chemical control. In this work, we systematically fabricate high-quality SrNbO3 thin films via pulsed laser epitaxy and investigate their electronic structures using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Variation of the substrate oxygen stoichiometry drives a transition in the Fermi surface reconstruction from a $\sqrt{2}\!\times\!\sqrt{2}R45^\circ$ pattern on oxygen-deficient SrTiO3 to a $2\times 2$ pattern on stoichiometric substrates. Furthermore, by precisely controlling the epitaxial thickness, we identify the gradual disappearance of the electron-like Fermi surface at the $M$ point with increasing thickness, which might be associated with the relaxation of the $ a^0a^0c^+ $ lattice distortion induced by interfacial epitaxial strain at the SrTiO3 substrate. Our findings demonstrate that band reconstruction in correlated oxides can be effectively modulated through chemistry and thin-film thickness, establishing SrNbO3 as a promising material platform for multifunctional electronic band control. This work provides a prototypical route for exploring the intertwined topological and correlated phenomena in 4d transition-metal oxides under extreme quantum confinement.

Key words: perovskite oxide, strain, reconstruction

中图分类号:  (Oxide surfaces)

  • 68.47.Gh
71.10.Ca (Electron gas, Fermi gas) 73.20.-r (Electron states at surfaces and interfaces) 73.22.-f (Electronic structure of nanoscale materials and related systems)