Abstract
An optical study of the effects of strain and heterostructuring on nickelates is presented. The optical conductivity data obtained for a series of ultrathin films of NdNiO3 with varying amounts of strain reveal that two mechanisms, each associated with a different energy scale, are responsible for the tuning of the Drude-like spectral weight as a function of strain. Additionally, the optical properties of the LaNiO3 layers in a LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattice are investigated, showing that the coherent Drude transport associated with strained LaNiO3 is suppressed due to the presence of the LaAlO3 interlayers.