This thesis presents an experimental study of ordering phenomena in rare-earth nickelate-based heterostructures by means of inelastic Raman light scattering and elastic resonant x-ray scattering (RXS). Further, it demonstrates that the amplitude ratio of magnetic moments at neighboring nickel sites can be accurately determined by RXS in combination with a correlated double cluster model, and controlled experimentally through structural pinning of the oxygen positions in the crystal lattice. The two key outcomes of the thesis are: (a) demonstrating full control over the charge/bond and spin order parameters in specifically designed praseodymium nickelate heterostructures and observation of a novel spin density wave phase in absence of the charge/bond order parameter, which confirms theoretical predictions of a spin density wave phase driven by spatial confinement of the conduction electrons; and (b) assessing the thickness-induced crossover between collinear and non-collinear spin structures in neodymium nickelate slabs, which is correctly predicted by drawing on density functional theory.

This book is devoted to the rapidly developing field of oxide thin-films and heterostructures. Oxide materials combined with atomic-scale precision in a heterostructure exhibit an abundance of macroscopic physical properties involving the strong coupling between the electronic, spin, and structural degrees of freedom, and the interplay between magnetism, ferroelectricity, and conductivity. Recent advances in thin-film deposition and characterization techniques made possible the experimental realization of such oxide heterostructures, promising novel functionalities and device concepts. The book consists of chapters on some of the key innovations in the field over recent years, including strongly correlated oxide heterostructures, magnetoelectric coupling and multiferroic materials, thermoelectric phenomena, and two-dimensional electron gases at oxide interfaces. The book covers the core principles, describes experimental approaches to fabricate and characterize oxide heterostructures, demonstrates new functional properties of these materials, and provides an overview of novel applications.

Oxides form a broad subject area of research and technology development which encompasses different disciplines such as materials science, solid state chemistry, physics etc. The aim of this book is to demonstrate the interplay of these fields and to provide an introduction to the techniques and methodologies involving film growth, characterization and device processing. The literature in this field is thus fairly scattered in different research journals covering one or the other aspect of the specific activity. This situation calls for a book that will consolidate this information and thus enable a beginner as well as an expert to get an overall perspective of the field, its foundations, and its projected progress.

Epitaxial Growth of Complex Metal Oxides, Second Edition reviews techniques and recent developments in the fabrication quality of complex metal oxides, which are facilitating advances in electronic, magnetic and optical applications. Sections review the key techniques involved in the epitaxial growth of complex metal oxides and explore the effects of strain and stoichiometry on crystal structure and related properties in thin film oxides. Finally, the book concludes by discussing selected examples of important applications of complex metal oxide thin films, including optoelectronics, batteries, spintronics and neuromorphic applications. This new edition has been fully updated, with brand new chapters on topics such as atomic layer deposition, interfaces, STEM-EELs, and the epitaxial growth of multiferroics, ferroelectrics and nanocomposites. - Examines the techniques used in epitaxial thin film growth for complex oxides, including atomic layer deposition, sputtering techniques, molecular beam epitaxy, and chemical solution deposition techniques - Reviews materials design strategies and materials property analysis methods, including the impacts of defects, strain, interfaces and stoichiometry - Describes key applications of epitaxially grown metal oxides, including optoelectronics, batteries, spintronics and neuromorphic applications