Tailoring the electronic transitions of NdNiO$_3$ films through (111)$_{pc}$ oriented interfaces

Abstract : Bulk NdNiO$_3$ and thin films grown along the pseudocubic (001)$_{pc}$ axis display a 1st order metal to insulator transition (MIT) together with a Néel transition at T = 200 K. Here, we show that for NdNiO$_3$ films deposited on (111)$_{pc}$ NdGaO$_3$, the MIT occurs at T = 335 K and the Néel transition at T = 230 K. By comparing transport and magnetic properties of layers grown on substrates with different symmetries and lattice parameters, we demonstrate a particularly large tuning when the epitaxy is realized on (111)$_{pc}$ surfaces. We attribute this effect to the specific lattice matching conditions imposed along this direction when using orthorhombic substrates.