Long-Range Nanoelectromechanical Coupling at the LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3 Interface

The LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3 interface hosts a plethora of gate-tunable electronic phases. Gating of LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3 interfaces are usually assumed to occur electrostatically. However, increasing evidence suggests that non-local interactions can influence and, in some cases, dominate the coupling between applied gate voltages and electronic properties. Here, we sketch quasi-1D ballistic electron waveguides at the LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3 interface as a probe to understand how gate tunability varies as a function of spatial separation. Gate tunability measurements reveal the scaling law to be at odds with the pure electrostatic coupling observed in traditional semiconductor systems. The non-Coulombic gating at the interface is attributed to the existence of a long-range nanoelectromechanical coupling between the gate and electron waveguide, mediated by the ferroelastic domains in SrTiO_3. The long-range interactions at the LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3 interface add unexpected richness and complexity to this correlated electron system.