Thickness dependence of metal-insulator transition in SrMoO3thin films

Abstract

We have investigated the thickness-dependent transport properties of SrMoO 3 thin films deposited on LaAlO 3 substrates. Metal-insulator transitions (MITs) were observed in SrMoO 3 thin films with thickness below 10 nm. The low-temperature resistivity of these films can be explained by quantum corrections of the conductivity. An insulating behavior is observed when the thickness becomes 3.5 nm, and the resistivity can be described by the variable range hopping model with 2D fitting. The magneto-transport measurement of an SrMoO 3 thin film with small positive magnetoresistance confirms that the driving force behind MIT is the renormalized electron-electron interaction.