Abstract
Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at the interface of oxide heterostructures have been the
subject of recent experiment and theory, due to the intriguing phenomena that occur in confined
electronic states. However, while much has been done to understand the origin of 2DEGs and related phenomena, very little has been explored with regards to the control of conduction pathways and the distribution of charge carriers. Using first principles simulations and experimental thin film synthesis methods, we examine the effect of dimensionality on carrier transport in La delta-doped SrTiO3 (STO) superlattices, as a function of the thickness of the insulating STO spacer. Our computed Fermi surfaces and layer-resolved carrier density pro les demonstrate that there is a critical thickness of the STO spacer, below which carrier transport is dominated by three-dimensional conduction of interface charges arising from appreciable overlap of the quantum mechanical wavefunctions between neighboring delta-doped layers. We observe that, experimentally, these superlattices remain highly transparent to visible light. Band structure calculations indicate that this is a result of the appropriately large gap between the O 2p and Ti d states. The tunability of the quantum mechanical wavefunctions and the optical transparency highlight the potential for using oxide heterostructures in novel opto-electronic devices; thus providing a route to the creation of novel transparent conducting oxides.
