Metal-Insulator Transition of strained SmNiO₃ Thin Films: Structural, Electrical and Optical Properties

Samarium nickelate (SmNiO₃) thin films were successfully synthesized on LaAlO₃ and SrTiO₃ substrates using pulsed-laser deposition. The Mott metal-insulator (MI) transition of the thin films is sensitive to epitaxial strain and strain relaxation. Once the strain changes from compressive to tensile, the transition temperature of the SmNiO₃ samples shifts to slightly higher values. The optical conductivity reveals the strong dependence of the Drude spectral weight on the strain relaxation. Actually, compressive strain broadens the bandwidth. In contrast, tensile strain causes the effective number of free carriers to reduce which is consistent with the d-band narrowing.