Compressive strain-induced metal-insulator transition in orthorhombic SrIrO sub(3) thin films

• Published in: Journal of materials research 2014-11, Vol.29 (21), p.2491-2496
• Main Authors: Gruenewald, John H, Nichols, John, Terzic, Jasminka, Cao, Gang, Brill, Joseph W, Seo, Sung SAmbrose
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption spectra; Compressive properties; Correlation; Electronic properties; Magnetoresistance; Magnetoresistivity; Metal-insulator transition; Thin films
• ISSN: 0884-2914; 2044-5326
• DOI: 10.1557/jmr.2014.288

Orthorhombic SrIrO sub(3) is a correlated metal whose electronic properties are highly susceptible to external perturbations due to the comparable interactions of spin-orbit interaction and electronic correlation. We have investigated the electronic properties of epitaxial orthorhombic SrIrO sub(3) thin-films under compressive strain using transport measurements, optical absorption spectra, and magnetoresistance. The metastable, orthorhombic SrIrO sub(3) thin-films are synthesized on various substrates using an epi-stabilization technique. We have observed that as in-plane lattice compression is increased, the dc-resistivity ([Iuml]) of the thin films increases by a few orders of magnitude, and the d[Iuml]/dT changes from positive to negative values. However, optical absorption spectra show Drude-like, metallic responses without an optical gap opening for all compressively strained thin films. Transport measurements under magnetic fields show negative magnetoresistance at low temperature for compressively strained thin-films. Our results suggest that weak localization is responsible for the strain-induced metal-insulator transition for the orthorhombic SrIrO sub(3) thin-films.