A Dynamical Mean-field Study of LaNiO$_3$

Abstract

While most of the rare-earth nickelates exhibit a temperature-driven sharp metal-insulator transition, LaNiO$_3$ is the only exception remaining metallic down to low temperatures. Using local density approximation as an input to dynamical mean-field calculation, metallic properties of bulk LaNiO$_{3}$ is studied. The DMFT calculations indicate that the system is a correlated Fermi liquid with an enhanced effective mass. The possibility of a pressure-driven metal-insulator transition in the system is also suggested, which can be verified experimentally.