Large polarons as key quasiparticles in SrTiO3 and SrTiO3-based heterostructures

Despite its simple structure and low degree of electronic correlation, SrTiO3 (STO) features collective phenomena linked to charge transport and, ultimately, superconductivity, that are not yet fully explained. Thus, a better insight into the nature of the quasiparticles shaping the electronic and conduction properties of STO is needed. We studied the low-energy excitations of bulk STO and of the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) by Ti L3 edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. In all samples, we find the hallmark of polarons in the form of intense dd+phonon excitations, and a decrease of the LO3-mode electron-phonon coupling when going from insulating to highly conducting STO single crystals and heterostructures. Both results are attributed to the dynamic screening of the large polaron self-induced polarization, showing that the low-temperature physics of STO and STO-based 2DEGs is dominated by large polaron quasiparticles.