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Abstract Charge ordering (CO), characterized by a periodic modulation of electron density and lattice distortion, has been a fundamental topic in condensed matter physics, serving as a potential platform for inducing novel functional properties. The charge-ordered phase is known to occur in a doped system with high d -electron occupancy, rather than low occupancy. Here, we report the realization of the charge-ordered phase in electron-doped (100) SrTiO 3 epitaxial thin films that have the lowest d -electron occupancy i.e., d 1 - d 0 . Theoretical calculation predicts the presence of a metastable CO state in the bulk state of electron-doped SrTiO 3 . Atomic scale analysis reveals that (100) surface distortion favors electron-lattice coupling for the charge-ordered state, and triggering the stabilization of the CO phase from a correlated metal state. This stabilization extends up to six unit cells from the top surface to the interior. Our approach offers an insight into the means of stabilizing a new phase of matter, extending CO phase to the lowest electron occupancy and encompassing a wide range of 3 d transition metal oxides.
Eom et al. (2024) studied this question.