Limits to the strain engineering of layered square-planar nickelate thin films
oleh: Dan Ferenc Segedin, Berit H. Goodge, Grace A. Pan, Qi Song, Harrison LaBollita, Myung-Chul Jung, Hesham El-Sherif, Spencer Doyle, Ari Turkiewicz, Nicole K. Taylor, Jarad A. Mason, Alpha T. N’Diaye, Hanjong Paik, Ismail El Baggari, Antia S. Botana, Lena F. Kourkoutis, Charles M. Brooks, Julia A. Mundy
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | Nature Portfolio 2023-03-01 |
Deskripsi
Abstract The layered square-planar nickelates, Nd n+1Ni n O2n+2, are an appealing system to tune the electronic properties of square-planar nickelates via dimensionality; indeed, superconductivity was recently observed in Nd6Ni5O12 thin films. Here, we investigate the role of epitaxial strain in the competing requirements for the synthesis of the n = 3 Ruddlesden-Popper compound, Nd4Ni3O10, and subsequent reduction to the square-planar phase, Nd4Ni3O8. We synthesize our highest quality Nd4Ni3O10 films under compressive strain on LaAlO3 (001), while Nd4Ni3O10 on NdGaO3 (110) exhibits tensile strain-induced rock salt faults but retains bulk-like transport properties. A high density of extended defects forms in Nd4Ni3O10 on SrTiO3 (001). Films reduced on LaAlO3 become insulating and form compressive strain-induced c-axis canting defects, while Nd4Ni3O8 films on NdGaO3 are metallic. This work provides a pathway to the synthesis of Nd n+1Ni n O2n+2 thin films and sets limits on the ability to strain engineer these compounds via epitaxy.