Asymmetric Orbital-Lattice Interactions in Ultrathin Correlated Oxide Films

J. Chakhalian, J. M. Rondinelli, Jian Liu, B. A. Gray, M. Kareev, E. J. Moon, N. Prasai, J. L. Cohn, M. Varela, I. C. Tung, M. J. Bedzyk, S. G. Altendorf, F. Strigari, B. Dabrowski, L. H. Tjeng, P. J. Ryan, and J. W. Freeland
Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 116805 – Published 9 September 2011
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Abstract

Using resonant x-ray spectroscopies combined with density functional calculations, we find an asymmetric biaxial strain-induced d-orbital response in ultrathin films of the correlated metal LaNiO3 which are not accessible in the bulk. The sign of the misfit strain governs the stability of an octahedral “breathing” distortion, which, in turn, produces an emergent charge-ordered ground state with an altered ligand-hole density and bond covalency. Control of this new mechanism opens a pathway to rational orbital engineering, providing a platform for artificially designed Mott materials.

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  • Received 8 April 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.116805

© 2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

J. Chakhalian1,*, J. M. Rondinelli2,3, Jian Liu1,4, B. A. Gray1, M. Kareev1, E. J. Moon1, N. Prasai5, J. L. Cohn5, M. Varela6, I. C. Tung7, M. J. Bedzyk7, S. G. Altendorf8, F. Strigari8, B. Dabrowski9, L. H. Tjeng10, P. J. Ryan3, and J. W. Freeland3

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 70701, USA
  • 2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
  • 3Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
  • 4Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
  • 5Department of Physics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124, USA
  • 6Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  • 7Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
  • 8II. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Strasse 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
  • 9Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois 60115, USA
  • 10Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Nöthnitzerstrasse 40, 01187 Dresden, Germany

  • *jchakhal@uark.edu

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Issue

Vol. 107, Iss. 11 — 9 September 2011

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