  With reduced dimensionality, it is often easier to modify the properties of
ultra-thin films than their bulk counterparts. Strain engineering, usually
achieved by choosing appropriate substrates, has been proven effective in
controlling the properties of perovskite oxide films. An emerging alternative
route for developing new multifunctional perovskite is by modification of the
oxygen octahedral structure. Here we report the control of structural oxygen
octahedral rotation in ultra-thin perovskite SrRuO3 films by the deposition of
a SrTiO3 capping layer, which can be lithographically patterned to achieve
local control. Using a scanning Sagnac magnetic microscope, we show increase in
the Curie temperature of SrRuO3 due to the suppression octahedral rotations
revealed by the synchrotron x-ray diffraction. This capping-layer-based
technique may open new possibilities for developing functional oxide materials.
