First principles study of [111]-oriented epitaxially strained Rare-Earth Nickelate NdNiO$_3$

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lione, Alexander, Íñiguez-González, Jorge, Bristowe, Nicholas C.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866908469524692992
author Lione, Alexander
Íñiguez-González, Jorge
Bristowe, Nicholas C.
author_facet Lione, Alexander
Íñiguez-González, Jorge
Bristowe, Nicholas C.
contents Density functional theory is used to investigate the effect of biaxial strain on the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of [111]-oriented NdNiO$_3$, as a representative of the rare-earth perovskites that undergo metal-to-insulator transitions. We find that this constraint on the system induces unique structural phase transitions not previously observed under the well-studied bulk or [001]-oriented strained systems. We also report unique electronic behaviour, including amplification of the electronic band-gap with tensile strain, and insulating, charge-ordered phases with non-orthorhombic tilt patterns. To provide clarity to the trends we observe, we also investigate the coupling between the breathing mode and strain, where we observe certain strains to directly favour and disfavour the creation of the breathing mode (and thus the associated charge-ordering). The amplification of the band gap with strain is understood in terms of a cooperative coupling between the elastic constraint and octahedral breathing, which expands on the previously reported triggered mechanism mediated by octahedral tilting.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_20819
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle First principles study of [111]-oriented epitaxially strained Rare-Earth Nickelate NdNiO$_3$
Lione, Alexander
Íñiguez-González, Jorge
Bristowe, Nicholas C.
Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
Density functional theory is used to investigate the effect of biaxial strain on the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of [111]-oriented NdNiO$_3$, as a representative of the rare-earth perovskites that undergo metal-to-insulator transitions. We find that this constraint on the system induces unique structural phase transitions not previously observed under the well-studied bulk or [001]-oriented strained systems. We also report unique electronic behaviour, including amplification of the electronic band-gap with tensile strain, and insulating, charge-ordered phases with non-orthorhombic tilt patterns. To provide clarity to the trends we observe, we also investigate the coupling between the breathing mode and strain, where we observe certain strains to directly favour and disfavour the creation of the breathing mode (and thus the associated charge-ordering). The amplification of the band gap with strain is understood in terms of a cooperative coupling between the elastic constraint and octahedral breathing, which expands on the previously reported triggered mechanism mediated by octahedral tilting.
title First principles study of [111]-oriented epitaxially strained Rare-Earth Nickelate NdNiO$_3$
topic Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.20819