Quantum wells in polar-nonpolar oxide heterojunction systems

We address the electronic structure of quantum wells in polar-nonpolar oxide heterojunction systems focusing on the case of nonpolar BaVO3 wells surrounded by polar LaTiO3 barriers. Our discussion is based on a density-functional description using the local spin-density approximation with local-correlation corrections (LSDA+U). We conclude that a variety of quite different two-dimensional electron systems can occur at interfaces between insulating materials depending on band lineups and on the geometrical arrangement of polarity discontinuities.