Growth and Properties of a New Correlated Electron Perovskite Thin Film -- PbVO$_{3}$ .

We report the growth of single phase, fully epitaxial thin films of a relatively new perovskite material, lead vanadate (PbVO$_{3})$, using pulsed laser deposition. This growth realizes the first production of PbVO$_{3}$ outside of high-temperature and high-pressure techniques through growth of epitaxial thin films on various substrates. Structural analysis of the PbVO$_{3}$ thin films using transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy reveals films that are single phase, highly crystalline, and have a tetragonally distorted perovskite structure, with $a$ = 3.79{\AA} and $c$ = 5.02{\AA} (c/a = 1.32). Electron energy loss spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to show the stabilization of vanadium in the V$^{4+}$ state, thereby proving the creation of a new $d^{1}$ system for intensive physical study. Films exhibit semiconducting behavior in plane of the film with thermally activated behavior and distinctly different properties from other $d^{1}$ $A$VO$_{3}$ thin films. Studies of the magnetic and ferroelastic/ferroelectric nature of PbVO$_{3}$ are also underway.