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Shangxiong Huangfu, Dariusz Jakub Gawryluk, Xiaofu Zhang, Olivier Blacque, Pascal Puphal, E. Pomjakushina, Fabian O. von Rohr, A. Schilling
Abstract
As a member of the Ruddlesden-Popper $L{n}_{\mathrm{n}+1}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{i}}_{\mathrm{n}}{\mathrm{O}}_{3\mathrm{n}+1}$ series rare-earth-nickelates, $\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{r}}_{4}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{i}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{10}$ consists of infinite quasi-two-dimensional perovskite-like Ni-O based layers. Although a metal-to-metal phase transition at ${T}_{pt}\ensuremath{\approx}157\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ has been revealed by previous studies, a comprehensive study of physical properties associated with this transition has not yet been performed. We have grown single crystals of $\mathrm{P}{\mathrm{r}}_{4}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{i}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{10}$ at high oxygen pressure, and report on the physical properties around that phase transition, such as heat-capacity, electric-transport, and magnetization. We observe a distinctly anisotropic behavior between in-plane and out-of-plane properties: a metal-to-metal transition at ${T}_{pt}$ within the a-b plane, and a metal-to-insulator-like transition along the $c$ axis with decreasing temperature. Moreover, an anisotropic and anomalous negative magnetoresistance is observed at ${T}_{pt}$ that we attribute to a slight suppression of the first-order transition with magnetic field. The magnetic susceptibility can be well described by a Curie-Weiss law, with different Curie constants and Pauli-spin susceptibilities between the high-temperature and the low-temperature phases. The single crystal x-ray diffraction measurements show a shape variation of the different $\mathrm{Ni}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ octahedra from the high-temperature phase to the low-temperature phase. This subtle change of the environment of the Ni sites is likely responsible for the different physical properties at high and low temperatures.