  Using cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy on in situ fractured
SrTiO$_{3}$, one of the most commonly used substrates for the growth of complex
oxide thin films and superlattices, atomically smooth terraces have been
observed on (001) surfaces. Furthermore, it was discovered that fracturing this
material at room temperature results in the formation of stripe patterned
domains having characteristic widths (~10 nm to ~20 nm) of alternating surface
terminations that extend over a long-range. Spatial characterization utilizing
spectroscopy techniques revealed a strong contrast in the electronic structure
of the two domains. Combining these results with topographic data, we are able
to assign both TiO$_{2}$ and SrO terminations to their respective domains. The
results of this proof-of-principle experiment reveal that fracturing this
material leads to reproducibly flat surfaces that can be characterized at the
atomic-scale and suggests that this technique can be utilized for the study of
technologically relevant complex oxide interfaces.
