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In the fundamental understanding of magnetic interactions between atoms in solids, the crystal lattice is one of the key parameters. As the effective tool for controlling the lattice using tensile stress is limited, there are only few demonstrations of the control in magnetic properties with expanding the lattice structure. Here, we observe that the Curie temperature (Tc) of quasi two-dimensional Cr2Ge2Te6 with NiO overlayer doubles from ~60 K to ~120 K, describe a clear correlation of magnetic properties with lattice expansion, which is characterized by several probes and computational approaches, and address on the mechanisms leading to the increase in Tc via the change in exchange interactions.

We study the effects of specimen mistilt on the picometer-scale measurement of local structure by combing experiment and simulation in annular bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ABF-STEM). A relative distance measurement method is proposed to separate the tilt effects from the scan noise and scan distortion. We find that under a typical experimental condition a small specimen tilt (~6 mrad) in 25 nm thick SrTiO3 along [001] causes 11.9 pm artificial displacement between O and Sr/TiO columns in ABF image, which is more than 3 times of scan noise and sample drift induced image distortion ~3.2 pm, suggesting the tilt effect could be dominant for the quantitative analysis of ABF images. The artifact depends the crystal mistilt angle, specimen thickness, defocus, convergence angle and uncorrected aberration. Our study provides useful insights into detecting and correcting tilt effects during both experiment operation and data analysis to extract the real structure information and avoid mis-interpretations of atomic structure as well as the properties such as oxygen octahedral distortion/shift., Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures

By using the state-of-the-art microscopy and spectroscopy in aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopes, we determine the atomic arrangements, occupancy, elemental distribution, and the electronic structures of dislocation cores in the 10{\deg}tilted SrTiO3 bicrystal. We identify that there are two different types of oxygen deficient dislocation cores, i.e., the SrO plane terminated Sr0.82Ti0.85O3-x (Ti3.67+, 0.48

The electronic structures and macroscopic functionalities of two-dimensional (2D) materials are often controlled according to their size, atomic structures, and associated defects. This controllability is particularly important in ultrathin 2D nanosheets of transition-metal oxides because these materials exhibit extraordinary multifunctionalities that cannot be realized in their bulk constituents. To expand the variety of materials with exotic properties that can be used in 2D transition-metal-oxide nanosheets, it is essential to investigate fabrication processes for 2D materials. However, it remains challenging to fabricate such 2D nanosheets, as they are often forbidden because of the crystal structure and nature of their host oxides. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of a single-atom-thick TiO2 2D nanosheet with a periodic array of holes, that is, a TiO2 nanomesh, by depositing a LaAlO3 thin film on a SrTiO3(001)-(√13×√13)-R33.7° reconstructed substrate. In-depth investigations of the detailed structures, local density of states, and Ti valency of the TiO2 nanomesh using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory calculations reveal an unexpected upward migration of the Ti atoms of the substrate surface onto the LaAlO3 surface. These results indicate that the truncated TiO5 octahedra on the surface of perovskite oxides are very stable, leading to semiconducting TiO2 nanomesh formation. This nanomesh material can be potentially used to control the physical and chemical properties of the surfaces of perovskite oxides. Furthermore, this study provides an avenue for building functional atomic-scale oxide 2D structures and reveals the thin-film growth processes of complex oxides.

A new layered iron arsenide oxide (Fe2As2)(Ca5(Mg,Ti)4Oy) and its structural derivative were found in the Fe-As-Ca-Mg-Ti-O system. The crystal structure of (Fe2As2)(Ca5(Mg,Ti)4Oy) is identical to that of (Fe2As2)(Ca5(Sc,Ti)4Oy), which was reported in our previous study. The lattice constants of this compound are a = 3.86(4) A and c = 41.05(2) A. In addition, another phase with a thicker blocking layer was found. The structure of the compound and its derivative was tentatively assigned through STEM observation as (Fe2As2)(Ca8(Mg,Ti)6Oy) with sextuple perovskite-type sheets divided by a rock salt layer. The interlayer Fe-Fe distance of this compound is ~30 A. The compound and its derivative exhibited bulk superconductivity, as found from magnetization and resistivity measurements., Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures