Infrared Nano-Imaging of Electronic Phase across the Metal–Insulator Transition of NdNiO$_3$ Films
Fanwei Liu1†, Sisi Huang2†, Sidan Chen1, Xinzhong Chen3, Mengkun Liu3, Kuijuan Jin2*, and Xi Chen1*
1State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics and Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China 2Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
Abstract：NdNiO$_3$ is a typical correlated material with temperature-driven metal–insulator transition. Resolving the local electronic phase is crucial in understanding the driving mechanism behind the phase transition. Here we present a nano-infrared study of the metal–insulator transition in NdNiO$_3$ films by a cryogenic scanning near-field optical microscope. The NdNiO$_3$ films undergo a continuous transition without phase coexistence. The nano-infrared signal shows significant temperature dependence and a hysteresis loop. Stripe-like modulation of the optical conductivity is formed in the films and can be attributed to the epitaxial strain. These results provide valuable evidence to understand the coupled electronic and structural transformations in NdNiO$_3$ films at the nano-scale.
(Optical properties of bulk materials and thin films)
引用本文:
. [J]. 中国物理快报, 2022, 39(7): 76801-.
Fanwei Liu, Sisi Huang, Sidan Chen, Xinzhong Chen, Mengkun Liu, Kuijuan Jin, and Xi Chen. Infrared Nano-Imaging of Electronic Phase across the Metal–Insulator Transition of NdNiO$_3$ Films. Chin. Phys. Lett., 2022, 39(7): 76801-.
Bisogni V, Catalano S, Green R J, Gibert M, Scherwitzl R, Huang Y, Strocov V N, Zubko P, Balandeh S, Triscone J M, Sawatzky G, and Schmitt T 2016 Nat. Commun.7 13017
Caviglia A D, Först M, Scherwitzl R, Khanna V, Bromberger H, Mankowsky R, Singla R, Chuang Y D, Lee W S, Krupin O, Schlotter W F, Turner J J, Dakovski G L, Minitti M P, Robinson J, Scagnoli V, Wilkins S B, Cavill S A, Gibert M, Gariglio S, Z, Triscone J M, Hill J P, Dhesi S S, and Cavalleri A 2013 Phys. Rev. B88 220401
[12]
Gawryluk D J, Klein Y M, Shang T, Sheptyakov D, Keller L, Casati N, Ph L, Fernández-Díaz M T, Rodríguez-Carvajal J, and Medarde M 2019 Phys. Rev. B100 205137
[13]
Zhang J Y, Kim H, Mikheev E, Hauser A J, and Stemmer S 2016 Sci. Rep.6 1
Liu J, Kargarian M, Kareev M, Gray B, Ryan P J, Cruz A, Nadeem T, Chuang Y D, Guo J H, Rondinelli J M, Freeland J W, Fiete G A, and Chakhalian J 2013 Nat. Commun.4 2714
[17]
Mattoni G, Zubko P, Maccherozzi F, van der Torren A J, Boltje D B, Hadjimichael M, Manca N, Catalano S, Gibert M, Liu Y, Aarts J, Triscone J M, Dhesi S S, and Caviglia A D 2016 Nat. Commun.7 13141
[18]
Preziosi D, Lopez-Mir L, Li X, Cornelissen T, Lee J H, Trier F, Bouzehouane K, Valencia S, Gloter A, Barthélémy A, and Bibes M 2018 Nano Lett.18 2226
[19]
Post K W, McLeod A S, Hepting M, Bluschke M, Wang Y, Cristiani G, Logvenov G, Charnukha A, Ni G X, Padma R, Minola M, Pasupathy A, Boris A V, Benckiser E, Dahmen K A, Carlson E W, Keimer B, and Basov D N 2018 Nat. Phys.14 1056
[20]
Qazilbash M M, Brehm M, Chae B G, Ho P C, Andreev G O, Kim B J, Yun S J, Balatsky A V, Maple M B, Keilmann F, Hyun-Tak K, and Basov D N 2007 Science318 1750
Liu M K, Wagner M, Abreu E, Kittiwatanakul S, McLeod A, Fei Z, Goldflam M, Dai S, Fogler M M, Lu J, Wolf S A, Averitt R D, and Basov D N 2013 Phys. Rev. Lett.111 096602
[23]
McLeod A S, Van Heumen E, Ramirez J G, Wang S, Saerbeck T, Guenon S, Goldflam M, Anderegg L, Kelly P, Mueller A, Liu M K, Schuller I K, and Basov D N 2017 Nat. Phys.13 80
[24]
Mcleod A S, Zhang J, Gu M Q, Jin F, Zhang G, Post K W, Zhao X G, Millis A J, Wu W B, Rondinelli J M, Averitt R D, and Basov D N 2020 Nat. Mater.19 397
2022, Vol. 39 
