Tuning the superconducting transition of SrTiO_3-based 2DEGs with light

摘要

The resistivity of the two dimensional electron gas that forms at the interface of strontium titanate with various oxides is sensitive to irradiation from visible light. In this letter, we present data on the interface between the bandgap insulators LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO). We operate a light emitting diode at temperatures below 1 K and utilize it to irradiate the LAO/STO interface at ultralow temperatures. On irradiation, the resistance of this system is lowered continuously by a factor of five and the resistance change is persistent at low temperatures as long as the sample is kept in the dark. This makes the characterization of transport properties in different resistive states over extended time periods possible. Our pristine sample gets superconductive below 265 mK. The transition temperature T-c shifts downward on the persistent photo-induced lowering of the resistance. The persistent photoconductance can be completely reverted by heating the structure above 10 K, in which case, T-c takes on its original value. Thus, very similar to field-effect induced changes of the electron density, irradiation at low temperatures offers a versatile tuning knob for the superconducting state of STO-based interfaces which in addition has the advantage to be nonvolatile.