Transition-metal oxides with an ABO3 perovskite structure exhibit strongly entangled structural and electronic degrees of freedom and thus, one expects to unveil exotic phases and properties by acting on the lattice through various external stimuli. Using the Jahn-Teller active praseodymium vanadate Pr3+V3+O3 compound as a model system, we show that PrVO3 N\'eel temperature TN can be raised by 40 K with respect to the bulk when grown as thin films. Using advanced experimental techniques, this enhancement is unambiguously ascribed to a tetragonality resulting from the epitaxial compressive strain experienced by the films. First-principles simulations not only confirm experimental results, but they also reveal that the strain promotes an unprecedented orbital-ordering of the V3+ d electrons, strongly favouring antiferromagnetic interactions. These results show that an accurate control of structural aspects is the key for unveiling unexpected phases in oxides.
@article{arxiv.1903.04791,
title = {Magnetism tailored by mechanical strain engineering in PrVO$_3$ thin films},
author = {Deepak Kumar and Adrian David and Arnaud Fouchet and Alain Pautrat and Julien Varignon and Chang Uk Jung and Ulrike Lüders and Bernadette Domengès and Olivier Copie and Philippe Ghosez and Wilfrid Prellier},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1903.04791},
year = {2019}
}