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Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) formed at oxide interfaces show a large variety of functional properties of major physical interest. Here, the peculiar electric transport behavior of the 2DEG formed at the LGO/STO oxide interface is studied under the application of light pulses of different amplitude, duration, and repetition rate, and by varying the sample temperature from 8 to 300 K. The experimental results evidence a persistent photoconductivity, intimately related to the complex physics of this system. These findings suggest the possibility of using the oxide interfaces for advanced applications as, for example, energy conversion or information storage.

We report the study of anatase TiO 2 (001)-oriented thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO 3 (001). A combination of in situ and ex situ methods has been used to address both the origin of the Ti 3+ -localized states and their relationship with the structural and electronic properties on the surface and the subsurface. Localized in-gap states are analyzed using resonant X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and are related to the Ti 3+ electronic configuration, homogeneously distributed over the entire film thickness. We find that an increase in the oxygen pressure corresponds to an increase in Ti 3+ only in a well-defined range of deposition pressure; outside this range, Ti 3+ and the strength of the in-gap states are reduced.

TiO(2) anatase thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition are investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy. The analyses provide evidence of a peculiar growth mode of anatase on LaAlO(3) and SrTiO(3) characterized by the formation of an epitaxial layer at the film/substrate interface, due to cationic diffusion from the substrate into the film region. Pure TiO(2) anatase growth occurs in both specimens above a critical thickness of about 20 nm. The microstructural and chemical characterization of the samples is presented and discussed in the framework of oxide interface engineering.

Two kinds of epitaxial structures were grown by standard pulsed laser deposition on (001) Si, namely La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3)/Bi(4)Ti(3)O(12)/CeO(2) /YSZ/Si (BTO-based), and La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3)/SrTiO(3)/CeO(2) /YSZ/Si (STO-based) multilayers. The samples were investigated by means of x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, magnetic and transport measurements. The Curie temperature T(C) of the BTO-based samples was found to be higher (360 K) than for the typical reference epitaxial LSMO film grown on (001) SrTiO(3) single crystal (345 K), due to high compressive in-plane strain. The STO-based samples show high structural quality, low roughness and high T(C) (350 K), making them interesting candidates for use in innovative LSMO-based bolometers or spintronic devices operating at room temperature.

We report preliminary results on the optical driving and spectroscopic detection of Raman-active features in thin films of the high-temperature superconductor YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) in its normal phase by means of coherent Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman scattering, in a reflection geometry. Reference measurements on germanium are also reported. We observe phonon resonances which interfere coherently with a broad electronic resonance centered at zero frequency, giving rise to characteristic asymmetric spectral features. Our measurements provide a first step towards applying nonlinear optical wave-mixing spectroscopy to correlated electron systems.