Low temperature magnetoresistance of (111) (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/SrTiO$_3$

Abstract

The two dimensional conducting interfaces in SrTiO$_3$-based systems are known to show a variety of coexisting and competing phenomena in a complex phase space. Magnetoresistance measurements, which are typically used to extract information about the various interactions in these systems, must be interpreted with care, since multiple interactions can contribute to the resistivity in a given range of magnetic field and temperature. Here we review all the phenomena that can contribute to transport in SrTiO$_3$-based conducting interfaces at low temperatures, and discuss possible ways to distinguish between various phenomena. We apply this analysis to the magnetoresistance data of (111) oriented (La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$)(Al$_{0.65}$Ta$_{0.35}$)/STO (LSAT/STO) heterostructures in perpendicular field, and find an excess negative magnetoresistance contribution which cannot be explained by weak localization alone. We argue that contributions from magnetic scattering as well as electron-electron interactions can provide a possible explanation for the observed magnetoresistance.