Optical-conductivity spectra of Sr1−xLaxTiO3: Filling-dependent effect of the electron correlation

Abstract

Optical-conductivity spectra have been measured on the correlated electron system ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathit{x}}$ ${\mathrm{La}}_{\mathit{x}}$ ${\mathrm{TiO}}_3$ (0≤x≤1) in order to determine how the electronic structure depends on the filling of the 3d-electron conduction band. While metallic resistivity was observed in all samples with x≥0.1, the optical-conductivity spectra have revealed a critical change in the electronic structure: The effective carrier mass, which has been deduced by analysis of the optical-conductivity spectra and the energy-loss function, is critically enhanced as the x=1 filling case (Ti 3${\mathit{d}}^1$ configuration) is approached, perhaps due to electron-correlation effects, in a manner reminiscent of the Mott-Hubbard transition.