Unveiling interfacial properties of epitaxial spinel Li0.5Fe2.5O4 (001) film grown on perovskite substrate

The interfacial properties of the spinel/perovskite heterostructure have been investigated at the Li0.5Fe2.5O4/(La, Sr)MnO3 interface by transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. Three types of the interface structure of Fe/(La,Sr)O, Fe/MnO2, and (Li,Fe)2O4/MnO2 have been determined at the atomic scale for the Li0.5Fe2.5O4 and (La,Sr)MnO3 films with a cube-on-cube orientation relationship. The {111}-type stacking faults originating from the structural complexity of the heterointerface form in the Li0.5Fe2.5O4 film, which in company with the interfacial dislocations contribute to the epitaxial strain relaxation in the heterosystems. Our findings can provide a better understanding of the interfacial structure and physical properties in the spinel/ perovskite heterostructures.

Automated summary

The interfacial properties of the spinel/perovskite heterostructure at the Li0.5Fe2.5O4/(La, Sr)MnO3 interface have been investigated using transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques. Atomic-scale interface structures of Fe/(La,Sr)O, Fe/MnO2, and (Li,Fe)2O4/MnO2 have been determined for the Li0.5Fe2.5O4 and (La,Sr)MnO3 films with a cube-on-cube orientation relationship. Stacking faults in the Li0.5Fe2.5O4 film, along with interfacial dislocations, contribute to the epitaxial strain relaxation in the heterosystems. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the interfacial structure and physical properties in spinel/perovskite heterostructures.