Striped nanoscale phase separation at the metal-insulator transition of heteroepitaxial nickelates

G. Mattoni*, P. Zubko, F. Maccherozzi, A. J H Van Der Torren, D. B. Boltje, M. Hadjimichael, N. Manca, S. Catalano, M. Gibert, Y. Liu, J. Aarts, J. M. Triscone, S. S. Dhesi, A. D. Caviglia

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

Nucleation processes of mixed-phase states are an intrinsic characteristic of first-order phase transitions, typically related to local symmetry breaking. Direct observation of emerging mixed-phase regions in materials showing a first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) offers unique opportunities to uncover their driving mechanism. Using photoemission electron microscopy, we image the nanoscale formation and growth of insulating domains across the temperature-driven MIT in NdNiO3 epitaxial thin films. Heteroepitaxy is found to strongly determine the nanoscale nature of the phase transition, inducing preferential formation of striped domains along the terraces of atomically flat stepped surfaces. We show that the distribution of transition temperatures is a local property, set by surface morphology and stable across multiple temperature cycles. Our data provide new insights into the MIT of heteroepitaxial nickelates and point to a rich, nanoscale phenomenology in this strongly correlated material.

Original languageEnglish
Article number13141
Pages (from-to)1-7
Number of pages7
JournalNature Communications
Volume7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Nov 2016

Bibliographical note

Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology

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