Place : 1 avenue Augustin-Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau, France
Manager : Lucia Iglesias, lucia.iglesias@cnrs-thales.fr
Scientific Context
Rare-earth perovskite nickelates (RNiO₃, with R a rareearth element) are correlated oxides that exhibit sharp, tuneable metal–insulator transitions (MITs). Their electronic properties are highly sensitive to lattice distortions and strain (Fig. 1), making them excellent model systems for studying structure–property coupling in quantum materials. Our group has demonstrated that the MIT in nickelate thin films can be shifted toward room temperature by mixing Sm and Nd in controlled ratios, opening opportunities for
device-oriented applications. Building on this progress, the proposed project aims to achieve active and reversible control of the transition through strain engineering. Epitaxial films will be grown on piezoelectric substrates (BaTiO₃ or PMN-PT), where an applied gate voltage dynamically modulates the biaxial strain and, consequently, the MIT. The resulting strain-driven tuning will be explored through
transport and infrared optical measurements to realize dynamically tuneable properties relevant for thermo-optical applications.
Work program & skills acquired during internship
The student will grow and optimize nickelatesthin films of selected compositions using Pulsed Laser
Deposition (PLD) technique on piezo electric substrates. He/she will also perform a complete structural
characterization of the thin films through X-Ray reflectivity (XRR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Reciprocal
Space Map technique (RSM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Resistivity measurements as a
function of the temperature and gate voltage will determine the influence of strain on the metal-insulator
transition, while optical characterization, including thermal reflectance, emissivity measurements and
ellipsometry, will assess the strain-dependent infrared behaviour. Experience with electrical transport
and optical characterization techniques will be considered an asset, along with strong experimental
skills, data analysis capabilities, and the ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment
bridging academic research and industrial innovation.
Work environment
You will be working under the supervision of: Lucia Iglesias (CNRS) and Julian Peiro (Thales) at
Laboratoire Albert Fert located in Thales Research and Technology building on the Paris-Saclay campus.