Tailoring the electronic transitions of NdNiO3 films through (111)pc oriented interfaces

Bulk NdNiO₃ 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 NdNiO₃ films deposited on (111)_pc NdGaO₃, 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.