Magnetic and Structural Properties of LaNiO₃ Single Crystals

RNiO₃ (R = rare earth) perovskites form a series of compounds for which the magnetic and electronic properties have been studied for decades. All compounds possess an antiferromagnetic, insulating state, with the lone exception of LaNiO₃ (LNO) which has traditionally been described as a Pauli paramagnetic metal. Previous bulk experimental investigations have been relegated to work on polycrystalline materials; however, recently, successful growth of single crystals of LNO was reported [1,2]. The single crystals obtained provide an opportunity for deeper investigations into the physics of LNO, and indeed the traditional view of LNO has been challenged by a report of an antiferromagnetic metallic ground state [2]. Here, we discuss the magnetic and structural properties of single crystal LNO prepared in our laboratory.

[1] J. Zhang et al., Cryst. Growth Des., 17, 2730 (2017).
[2] Z. W. Li et al., arXiv:1705.02589 [cond-mat.str-el]