Atomic-Scale Metal-Insulator Transition in SrRuO3 Ultrathin Films Triggered by Surface Termination Conversion.

The metal-insulator transition (MIT) in transition-metal-oxide is fertile ground for exploring intriguing physics and potential device applications. Here, an atomic-scale MIT triggered by surface termination conversion in SrRuO3 ultrathin films is reported. Uniform and effective termination engineering at the SrRuO3 (001) surface can be realized via a self-limiting water-leaching process. As the surface termination converts from SrO to RuO2 , a highly insulating and nonferromagnetic phase emerges within the topmost SrRuO3 monolayer. Such a spatially confined MIT is corroborated by systematic characterizations on electrical transport, magnetism, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations and X-ray linear dichroism further suggest that the surface termination conversion breaks the local octahedral symmetry of the crystal field. The resultant modulation in 4d orbital occupancy stabilizes a nonferromagnetic insulating surface state. This work introduces a new paradigm to stimulate and tune exotic functionalities of oxide heterostructures with atomic precision.