Modulation of Abnormal Poisson's Ratios and Electronic Properties in Mixed-Valence Perovskite Manganite Films

Epitaxy and misfit strain imposed by underlying substrates have been intensively used to tailor the microstructure and electronic properties of oxide films, but this approach is largely restricted by commercially limited substrates. In contrast to the conventional epitaxial misfit strains with a positive Poisson's constant, we show here a tunable Poisson's ratio with anomalous values from negative, zero, to positive. This permits effective control over the out-of-plane lattice parameters that strongly correlate the magnetic and transport properties in perovskite mixed-valence La_1-xSr_xMnO₃ thin films. Our results provide an unconventional approach to better modulation and understanding of elastic-mediated microstructures and physical properties of oxide films by engineering the Poisson's ratios.