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Structural effects of (111) growth of La2CoMnO6 on SrTiO3 and LSAT: New insights from 3D crystallographic characterization with 4D-STEM and digital dark field imaging

Ian MacLaren, Andrew T. Fraser, and Matthew R. Lipsett

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Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 123602 – Published 3 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/c3dm-7frg

Abstract

The three-dimensional orientation of La atom modulations has been mapped in two thin films of La2CoMnO6 grown on SrTiO3 and LSAT ([La,Sr,Al,Ta] oxide) using a 4D-scanning transmission electron microscopy method based on the recently developed Digital Dark Field method. This images the shifts of diffraction spots and the azimuthal intensity distribution in the First-Order Laue Zone, and then uses them to reconstruct and map the 3D crystallography. This clearly shows a flip from out-of-plane modulation with tensile strain on SrTiO3 to in-plane modulation with compressive strain on LSAT. This hitherto unobserved crystallographic change had a significant influence on the out-of-plane lattice parameter which left more room for the full incorporation of the larger CoO6 octahedra in the film grown on LSAT and therefore explained the improved Mn-Co ordering and better properties for this film. Moreover, the method would be applicable to many other systems of epitaxial growth of complex oxides, revealing crystallographic details of crucial importance to properties which are not visible in conventional atomic resolution imaging.

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New Insights into Functional Materials through Advanced Electron Microscopy

The Editors of Physical Review Materials are pleased to present the Collection on New Insights into Functional Materials through Advanced Electron Microscopy, highlighting cutting-edge microscopy techniques and the extraordinary advances in materials science and engineering that they enable. The Collection is being guest-edited by Joanne Etheridge from Monash University (Australia) and Yimei Zhu from Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA). Every article published in this collection underwent a rigorous peer review process, adhering to the same high standards applied to all papers. The Physical Review Materials editorial team managed the peer review and made all editorial decisions.

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Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 123602– Published 3 December, 2025
  • Received 25 April 2025
  • Accepted 14 October 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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