Tuning the electronic effective mass in double-doped SrTiO3

We elucidate the relationship between effective mass and carrier concentration in an oxide semiconductor controlled by a double-doping mechanism. In this model oxide system, Sr1-xLaxTiO 3-δ, we can tune the effective mass ranging from 6 to 20m e as a function of filling (carrier concentration) and the scattering mechanism, which are dependent on the chosen lanthanum- and oxygen-vacancy concentrations. The effective mass values were calculated from the Boltzmann transport equation using the measured transport properties of thin films of Sr1-xLaxTiO3-δ. We show that the effective mass decreases with carrier concentration in this large-band-gap, low-mobility oxide, and this behavior is contrary to the traditional high-mobility, small-effective-mass semiconductors. © 2011 The American Physical Society.