RIS ID
134551
Abstract
Using perovskite-type charge-transfer oxide thin films of NdNiO3 (NNO) as a model system, we demonstrate that the effects of lattice strain on the electronic transport properties can be more comprehensively understood by growing NNO films on a number of (001)-, (011)-, and (111)-cut single-crystal substrates with different lattice mismatches including the relaxor-based 0.31Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-0.35Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.34PbTiO3 (PIN-PMN-PT) and 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) ferroelectric (FE) single crystals. In addition to the static lattice strains from conventional substrates (e.g., SrTiO3, LaAlO3), we in situ impose in-plane compressive or tensile strains to NNO films using FE/ferroelastic domain switching of FE substrates. An unprecedented electric-field-induced large out-of-plane compressive strain (-0.53%) and in-plane tensile strain (+0.81%) are achieved in the 25-nm NNO film by switching the polarization direction of the PIN-PMN-PT substrate at T = 200 K. This value is approximately 7.4 to 45 times larger than those previously reported in FE substrate-based heterostructures. As a result of the induced large lattice strain, the resistivity of the NNO film is modulated up to 125%. Further, taking advantage of the linear piezoelectric strain, a quantitative relationship between the resistivity and the in-plane strain of the NNO film is established, with a gauge fact of (Δρ/ρ)/δϵxx∼40.8. Moreover, using the domain-engineered FE/ferroelastic switching of PMN-PT substrates, multiple stable resistance states with good retention and endurance properties can be obtained at room temperature and the metal-to-insulator transition temperature (T MI ) of NNO films can be modified by precisely controlling the electric-field-pulse sequence as a result of the nonvolatile remnant strain transferring from the PMN-PT to the NNO film. Our results demonstrate that the electric-field-tunable ferroelastic/piezoelectric strain approach can be utilized to gain deeper insight into the intrinsic strain-property relationship of perovskite nickelate films and provide a simple and energy efficient way to construct multistate resistive memories.
Publication Details
Yan, J., Xu, M., Chen, T., Yang, M., Liu, F., Wang, H., Guo, L., Xu, Z., Fan, F., Gao, G., Dong, S., Li, X., Luo, H., Zhao, W. & Zheng, R. (2019). Manipulation of the Electronic Transport Properties of Charge-Transfer Oxide Thin Films of NdNi O3 Using Static and Electric-Field-Controllable Dynamic Lattice Strain. Physical Review Applied, 11 (3), 034037-1-034037-15.