INTERFACE STABILITY AND THE GROWTH OF OPTICAL-QUALITY PEROVSKITES ON MGO

An understanding of heteroepitaxy between perovskite and alkaline earth oxides is developed in terms of ion size and interfacial electrostatics. Interfacial energy minimization at the first atomic layers is the basis for a commensurate, unit-cell stability. This unit-cell stability presents the opportunity to study reduced dimensional or two-dimensional phenomena in thin-film ferroelectrics and is the basis for growth of high crystal quality, mum-thick films for optical device applications.