Enhancing superconductivity in SrTiO(3) films with strain

The nature of superconductivity in SrTiO(3), the first oxide superconductor to be discovered, remains a subject of intense debate several decades after its discovery. SrTiO(3) is also an incipient ferroelectric, and several recent theoretical studies have suggested that the two properties may be linked. To investigate whether such a connection exists, we grew strained, epitaxial SrTiO(3) films, which are known to undergo a ferroelectric transition. We show that, for a range of carrier densities, the superconducting transition temperature is enhanced by up to a factor of two compared to unstrained films grown under the same conditions. Moreover, for these films, superconductivity emerges from a resistive state. We discuss the localization behavior in the context of proximity to ferroelectricity. The results point to new opportunities to enhance superconducting transition temperatures in oxide materials.