Online Colloquium: Combining rare earth nickelates in solid solutions and superlattices

ABSTRACT

The phase diagram of the perovskite rare earth nickelates (RNiO3), which includes a sharp metal-to-insulator transition and unusual antiferromagnet ordering, is highly tunable through chemical substitution of different rare earth cations [1]. This largely represents a band-width mediated control. Further control can be achieved upon integration of a nickelate into a heterostructure, leveraging effects such as biaxial strain and interfacial charge transfer [2].

Here, synthesized heterostructures that combine two rare earth cations within the nickelate will be discussed. Studies on SmNiO3/NdNiO3 superlattices have unveiled a long-range energetic coupling at the interfaces that exceeds any physical coupling mechanism observed. On the other hand, solid solutions of NdLaNiO3 have brought to light a discontinuous nature of the nickelate phase diagram that has not been investigated previously.

1. Medarde, M. Structural , magnetic and electronic properties of RNiO3 perovskites ( R = rare earth ). J. Phys, Condens. Matter 9, 1679–1707 (1997).

2. Catalano, S. et al. Rare-earth nickelates RNiO3: thin films and heterostructures. Reports Prog. Phys. 81, 46501 (2018).

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Jennifer Fowlie is a senior research and teaching associate in the group of Professor Jean-Marc Triscone at the University of Geneva in Switzerland where she completed her PhD in 2018. Before that she completed a master’s in physics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and worked at the Swiss Light Source synchrotron at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Jennifer’s research focusses on understanding and harnessing emergent behavior in complex oxide heterostructures with a particular emphasis on nickel-based compounds.

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