Electrically induced metal-insulator transition in epitaxial SmNiO$_{3}$ thin films

Materials with metal-insulator transitions (MITs) above room temperature are potentially interesting for electronic applications, inter alia, to design a new class of the so-called Mott field transistors. We studied a member of the rare-earth nickelates familiy, SmNiO$_{3}$, with the bulk MIT transition temperature close to 400K. Thin films of SmNiO$_{3}$ were grown using pulsed laser deposition. Epitaxial structural quality was verified by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectometry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements showed MIT temperatures close to the bulk values. Electrically driven MIT in two terminal SmNiO3 thin film devices was demonstrated using DC and pulsed mode I-V measurements in the temperature range 273-348 K. The differential conductance \textit{dI/dV} peaked in the DC mode at switching field of 80 kV/cm at 273 K. The switching behavior became less pronounced with increasing measurement temperature and decreasing time period of the voltage pulses. By analysis of the experimental data we conclude the electrically-driven MIT in SmNiO$_{3}$ is due to the current-induced Joule self-heating. These findings should contribute to realization of novel electronic applications.