Dynamics of the photoinduced insulator-to-metal transition in a nickelate film

TL;DR

This study investigates how light can induce an insulator-to-metal transition in a NdNiO₃ film, revealing the dynamics of charge order melting and suggesting a unified model for similar phase transitions in nickelates and manganites.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of the photoinduced insulator-to-metal transition in a nickelate film using time-resolved techniques, proposing a common framework for nickelates and manganites.

Findings

Light induces an insulator-to-metal transition in NdNiO₃.

Charge order melting accompanies the phase transition.

A unified model describes dynamics in nickelates and manganites.

Abstract

The control of materials properties with light is a promising approach towards the realization of faster and smaller electronic devices. With phases that can be controlled via strain, pressure, chemical composition or dimensionality, nickelates are good candidates for the development of a new generation of high performance and low consumption devices. Here we analyze the photoinduced dynamics in a single crystalline NdNiO$_3$ film upon excitation across the electronic gap. Using time-resolved reflectivity and resonant x-ray diffraction, we show that the pump pulse induces an insulator-to-metal transition, accompanied by the melting of the charge order. Finally we compare our results to similar studies in manganites and show that the same model can be used to describe the dynamics in nickelates, hinting towards a unified description of these photoinduced phase transitions.