Effects of Ga-doping on structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of NdNiO3 thin films

Abstract

The thesis reports on the structural, electronic transport, and vibrational properties of NdNi1-xGaxO3 (x = 0 – 0.2) thin films grown on LaAlO3 (001)(LAO) substrates using the pulsed laser deposition method. The structural investigations show that the thin films experience compressive in-plane strain. The temperature dependent resistivity curves indicate that NdNiO3(NNO) film undergoes an electronic phase transition from metal to insulator, while 20% of Ga doping shows totally insulating behaviour below room temperature. The overall resistivity of the system increases systematically with a gradual increase in Ga doping. The resistivity results exhibit a close agreement with the power law equation with the indication of the non-Fermi liquid state. The Ga doping at Ni site in NdNiO3 thin films shows a systematic red-shift of Raman modes. These findings provide insights into the properties of NdNi1 xGaxO3 thin films and their potential applications in electronic devices.