Low-voltage electron beam control of conductive state at a complex-oxide interface

1. A method comprising:

(a) directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to a surface of a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer disposed on a second insulating layer;

(b) modifying, by the application of the ultra-low voltage electron beam, the surface of the first insulating layer to selectively switch an interface between a first state having a first electronic property and a second state having a second electronic property, the interface being between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; and

(c) directing the ultra-low voltage electron beam through an overlayer disposed on the first insulating layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first state is an insulating state and the second state is a conductive state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first state is a first conductive state and the second state is a second conductive state.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing a conductive line at the interface at a speed of greater than about 0.1 mm/sec and less than about 15 mm/sec.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the surface of the first insulating layer comprises modifying a portion of the surface of the first insulating layer, the portion of the surface of the first insulating layer having a feature size of greater than or equal to about 2 nanometers and less than or equal to about 200 nanometers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface is modifiable to attain at least one of an insulating state, a conducting state, a superconducting state, a ferroelectric state, or a ferromagnetic state.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 .

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overlayer comprises graphene.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

writing a nanowire at the interface.

11. A reconfigurable device comprising:

(a) a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer;

(b) an interface between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; and

(c) an overlayer disposed on the first insulating layer,

wherein an electronic property of the interface is modifiable in response to an ultra-low voltage electron beam being directed to the first insulating layer.

12. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 .

13. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the second insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 .

14. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the overlayer comprises graphene.

15. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of LaTiO 3 , LaVO 3 , KTaO 3 , CaZrO 3 , and α-Al 2 O 3 .

16. The reconfigurable device of claim 11 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 .

17. An electronic assembly comprising:

(a) one or more device electrodes;

(b) one or more interface electrodes configured to be coupled with the one or more device electrodes;

(c) a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer;

(d) an interface between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, the interface coupled with the one or more interface electrodes; and

(e) an overlayer disposed on the first insulating layer,

wherein the electronic assembly is reconfigurable by directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to the first insulating layer.

18. The electronic assembly of claim 17 , wherein the overlayer comprises graphene.

19. The electronic assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first insulating layer comprises LaAlO 3 and the second insulating layer comprises SrTiO 3 .

20. A method comprising:

(a) directing an ultra-low voltage electron beam to a surface of a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer disposed on a second insulating layer; and

(b) modifying, by the application of the ultra-low voltage electron beam, the surface of the first insulating layer to selectively switch an interface between a first state having a first electronic property and a second state having a second electronic property, the interface being between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer,

wherein the first state is a first conductive state and the second state is a second conductive state.