Electronic properties of the metallic perovskiteLaNiO3: Correlated behavior of 3 d electrons

Abstract

Low-temperature electrical resistivity, specific heat, and magnetic measurements have been performed on the distorted perovskite ${\mathrm{LaNiO}}_{3}$. The electrical resistivity shows a linear temperature dependence at high temperatures and an ${\mathit{AT}}^{2}$ dependence below \ensuremath{\sim}50 K. The static paramagnetic susceptibility is nearly Pauli-like with an additional small Curie-law contribution in the range 100--300 K, and shows stronger temperature dependence at lower temperatures. The specific heat can be represented as \ensuremath{\gamma}T+\ensuremath{\beta}${\mathit{T}}^{3}$+\ensuremath{\delta}${\mathit{T}}^{3}$lnT at low temperatures. Both the Pauli magnetic susceptibility \ensuremath{\chi}=5.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ emu/mol and the linear temperature coefficient of the specific heat \ensuremath{\gamma}=13.7 mJ/${\mathrm{K}}^{2}$ mol are enhanced well above their electron gas values. The effective Stoner enhancement factor is S=0.58, i.e., far from the ferromagnetic instability. These results are interpreted in terms of a Fermi liquid composed of almost localized Ni 3d electrons. Thus, ${\mathrm{LaNiO}}_{3}$ represents a correlated metallic system.