title: Phase engineering in oxides by interfaces.
abstract: Optical second harmonic generation and piezoresponse force microscopy are used to investigate manifestations of ordered states directly related to the presence of an oxide interface. Three examples, each with a very different scope, are reviewed in order to highlight the richness of interface-related phenomena in oxides. (i) The orbital states involved in the emergence of an interfacial conducting state in LaAlO(3)/SrTiO(3) heterostructures are investigated, which reveal a surprising decoupling of orbital and transport properties; (ii) the distribution of ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic domains in epitaxial films of the multiferroic hexagonal manganites is investigated, which reveals striking differences to the corresponding bulk crystals; and (iii) the distribution of trimerization-polarization domains in the hexagonal manganites is investigated, which reveals the presence of topologically protected domain walls with properties different from the bulk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. fiebig@mat.ethz.ch
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiebig