Complex oxide thin films: Pyrochlore, defect fluorite and perovskite model systems for structural, spectroscopic and catalytic studies

•Growth of epitaxial defect fluorite La2Zr2O7 and Ce2Zr2O7 thin films.•nm-thick thin films of La0.4Sr0.6FeO3-δ perovskite with controlled properties.•Defect fluorite-pyrochlore transition observed by in situ electron diffraction.•Access to well-ordered thin films of complex oxides with defined stoichiometry.