Controlling the correlated state of matter at oxide interfaces

The disruption of the translational symmetry, which naturally occurs at the interface between different materials, is accompanied by modified electronic and magnetic states, resulting in the observation of novel and exotic properties that differ significantly from the bulk. The control of the unique properties found at the interface becomes of particular interest for future technologies. An example is the magnetoelectric coupling at the interface between ferroelectric and ferromagnetic systems – so-called artificial multiferroics – whereby the order parameters of the two materials, i.e., ferroelectricity and magnetism, are coupled either through elastic, spin exchange or charge interactions across the interface. In this thesis, I investigate the magnetic, electronic and structural properties of thin manganite films, both as single layers and in heterostructures, with the goal of improving their properties and to understand their behavior and interactions. In particular, the aim is to investigate the interfacial correlated state in manganite-titanate and manganite-manganite heterostructures, by exploiting the element selectivity of soft x-rays to probe the magnetic and orbital state of the manganite layer.