Giant oxygen isotope effect on the metal-insulator transition of RNiO{sub 3} perovskites
- ETH Zurich and Paul Scherrer Inst., Villigen PSI (Switzerland). Lab. for Neutron Scattering
- Univ. du Maine, Le Mans (France). Lab. des Fluorures
- ETH Zurich Honggerberg (Switzerland). Lab. fur Feskorperphysikl
The metal to insulator transition displayed by all the members of the perovskite family RNiO{sub 3} (R = 4f rare earth different from La) has attracted a lot of interest since it constitutes one of the few examples of this phenomenon in perfectly stoichiometric compounds. In spite of the great deal of work performed during the last six years, the mechanism responsible for the electronic localization is still a matter of controversy. The observation of unusually large O isotope shifts on the metal-insulator temperature T{sub MI} reported in this study represents an important advance since it clearly proves the dominant role of the electron lattice interaction as driving force for the transition. Moreover, the good agreement between this observation and a simple model based on the existence of Jahn-Teller polarons in the metallic state gives further qualitative and quantitative support to the polaronic picture recently suggested to account for O isotope effects in other 3d transition metal oxides containing Jahn-Teller ions.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 290921
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/MSD/CP-97145; CONF-9806129-; ON: DE98058306; TRN: AHC29901%%126
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Euroconference on polarons: condensation, pairing, magnetism, Erice (Italy), 9-17 Jun 1998; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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