Strain controlled systematic variation of metal-insulator transition in epitaxial NdNiO{sub 3} thin films

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4758306· OSTI ID:22089476

Kumar, Yogesh ^[1]; Choudhary, R. J. ^[2]; Kumar, Ravi ^[1]

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1. Materials Science Division, Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067 (India)
2. UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Indore 452 001 (India)

We report here the strain dependent structural and electrical transport properties of epitaxial NdNiO{sub 3} thin films. Pulsed laser deposition technique was used to grow the NdNiO{sub 3} thin films on c-axis oriented SrTiO{sub 3} single crystals. Deposited films were irradiated using 200 MeV Ag{sup 15+} ion beam at the varying fluence (1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11}, 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 11}, and 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 12} ions/cm{sup 2}). X-ray diffraction studies confirm the epitaxial growth of the deposited films, which is maintained even up to the highest fluence. Rise in the in-plane compressive strain has been observed after the irradiation. All the films exhibit metal-insulator transition, however, a systematic decrease in the transition temperature (T{sub MI}) has been observed after irradiation, which may be attributed to the increase in the in-plane compression. Raman spectroscopy data reveal that this reduction in T{sub MI}, with the irradiation, is related to the decrease in band gap due to the stress generated by the in-plane compressive strain.

• OSTI ID: 22089476
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 112, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ENERGY BEAM DEPOSITION
ENERGY GAP
ION BEAMS
LASER RADIATION
LAYERS
MEV RANGE 100-1000
MONOCRYSTALS
NEODYMIUM COMPOUNDS
NICKELATES
RAMAN SPECTRA
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
STRESSES
STRONTIUM TITANATES
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
VAPOR PHASE EPITAXY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION