Layer Architecture Shapes Electronic, Magnetic, and Lattice Interactions in Ruddlesden-Popper Nickelates

利用Ni L3边和O K边共振非弹性X射线散射(RIXS)对La3Ni2O7的两种多形体——交替单层-三层结构LNO-1313与双层结构LNO-2222——以及三层化合物La4Ni3O10进行了系统比较。研究发现,LNO-1313与La4Ni3O10的电子、磁性和晶格激发高度相似,而双层LNO-2222表现出明显不同的特征。与LNO-2222相比,LNO-1313和La4Ni3O10具有更弱的轨道极化、增强的3d8L(配体空穴)特性、较小的面外磁交换尺度以及更强的电子-声子耦合。在有效局域矩框架下,强反铁磁层间耦合产生的自旋激发可由纠缠二聚体图像自然描述,其优势在层间耦合超过层内相互作用的双层LNO-2222中最明显。这些结果为层状镍酸盐中与超导相关的低能物理理论模型提供了关键实验约束。

Layer-resolved Electronic Structure and Correlation of Low-n Square-planar Nickelates: A DFT+DMFT Prediction of Superconducting Candidates

该研究采用密度泛函理论结合动力学平均场理论(DFT+DMFT),系统分析了低 n 层四方镍酸盐的层分辨电子结构和关联效应。结果表明,未掺杂体系中 Ni-d 轨道的电子关联强度随层数增加而增强,且内层 NiO₂ 平面普遍比外层具有更强的关联性,这种层间差异源于空间电荷分布的不均匀性。针对因过度空穴掺杂而不超导的 n=2 和 n=3 化合物,提出在间隔层氧位进行 Cl 替代的电子补偿策略,通过虚拟晶体近似模拟将其名义 Ni 价调控至与最佳超导 n=6 体系相同的水平。计算显示,Cl 掺杂可显著提升低层数体系的 Ni-d 质量增强因子,使其进入强关联金属区,同时低能电子结构得以保持。该工作揭示了层分辨电子关联在超导机制中的关键作用,并预测间隔层 Cl 掺杂是将低 n 四方镍酸盐转化为潜在超导候选材料的可行路径。

Magnetic configurations and excitations in high-Tc multilayer nickelates

该研究采用多轨道巡游电子框架,结合 Hartree-Fock 和随机相近似方法,系统分析了双层与三层镍酸盐的磁基态及横模自旋激发。对于双层体系,虽双条纹序能量略低,但单条纹态的激发谱在波矢 Q_BL 处呈现各向异性低能锥形色散,在 Γ 点附近显示各向同性高能激发,与共振非弹性 X 射线散射及中子散射实验定性吻合;还发现 Q_BL 处的镜面偶数层间光学模能量与 Γ 处镜面奇数模一致。对于三层体系,镜面奇数和镜面偶数自旋密度波均可稳定,镜面奇数态能量更低,并携带由中间层主导的近零能隙模,而镜面偶数态仅含一支声学模和两支有能隙光学模;与实验对比支持镜面奇序图像。结果表明,磁激发可作为灵敏探针区分磁有序构型,并支撑多层镍酸盐磁性具有共同巡游起源的结论。

Magnetic Order in bilayer Ruddlesden-Popper Nickelates

基于轨道选择性电子关联的实验证据,本文针对双层镍酸盐La₃Ni₂O₇提出了一种新的磁性描述框架。在正常态的坏金属区中,体系邻近轨道选择性Mott相,电子谱分解为相干的d_(x²-y²)轨道准粒子和非相干的d_(z²)轨道局域磁矩。通过整合局域磁矩间的超交换作用与相干电子介导的RKKY相互作用,构建有效自旋模型,其中RKKY贡献主导了第三近邻耦合并引发磁阻挫。该模型自然稳定了一个波矢接近(π/2, π/2)的非共面反铁磁基态,层间呈反铁磁堆叠,与中子散射等实验一致。计算的自旋波谱包含低频声学支和高频光学支,声学支在序波矢处软化,总带宽约80 meV,与共振非弹性X射线散射实验相符。这一结果揭示轨道选择性关联是决定双层镍酸盐磁性的核心要素,并指出低能磁涨落及短程交换作用可能为非常规超导配对提供驱动力。

Marginal-Fermi-Liquid-like Behavior without Pseudogap in Infinite-Layer Nickelates

本研究通过角分辨光电子能谱(ARPES)对无限层镍酸盐超导体 La0.8Ca0.2NiO2 及其母体 LaNiO2 薄膜的低能电子结构进行测量,利用改进的表面处理工艺首次在该体系中分辨出清晰的准粒子峰。在 La0.8Ca0.2NiO2 中,电子自能虚部与能量呈近似线性关系,其斜率从 (π/2, π/2) 到 (π, 0) 方向逐渐增大,显示出动量依赖的边际费米液体样散射特征。两种薄膜均表现出从对角线方向向反节点区域逐步抑制的低能谱权重,母体中的抑制更强,然而整个费米面上始终保留有限的费米能级谱权重,未见到能带前沿位移或背弯现象,表明不存在铜氧化物中典型的赝能隙。这些结果表明,动量选择性关联和边际费米液体样散射可以在无可检测赝能隙的情况下发生,为甄别高温超导正常态所必需的电子要素提供了关键基准,并暗示赝能隙并非必需,电荷转移能级和掺杂载流子轨道特征可能起着决定性作用。

Metallic crossover through the tilt-free transition in La₃Ni₂O₇ at high pressure and temperature

该研究通过高压高温拉曼光谱和同步辐射红外反射光谱,系统研究了双层镍氧化物La₃Ni₂O₇在压力与温度下的结构相变与电子性质演变。拉曼测量证实了压力驱动的结构相变(从倾斜的Amam相到无倾斜的Fmmm或I4/mmm相),并观察到Fano线型出现,表明电子-声子耦合增强。高温数据揭示了该相变在常压下存在544 K的上限温度,完善了温压相图。红外反射率测量显示,相变伴随载流子密度提升近两个数量级,标志着从不良金属到良金属的交叉。实验建立了结构相变与电子性质强耦合的统一图像,超导性在约6-7 GPa处与无倾斜相的出现紧密相关,但高对称性与金属性本身不足以诱发超导,可能还需考虑密度波涨落等强电子关联效应。

Microscopic Evidence of Charge- and Spin-Density Waves in La₃Ni₂O₇–δ Revealed by 139La-NQR

The recent discovery of superconductivity in La3Ni2O7–δ with a transition temperature Tc close to 80 K at high pressures has attracted significant attention, due particularly to a possible density wave (DW) transition occurring near the superconducting dome. Identifying the type of DW order is crucial for understanding the origin of superconductivity in this system. However, owing to the presence of La4Ni3O10 and other intergrowth phases in La3Ni2O7–δ samples, extracting the intrinsic information from the La3Ni2O7 phase is challenging. In this study, we employed 139La nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements to eliminate the influence of other structural phases in the sample and obtain microscopic insights into the DW transition in La3Ni2O7–δ. Below the DW transition temperature TDW ∼ 153 K, we observe a distinct splitting in the ±5/2 ↔ ±7/2 transition of the NQR resonance peak at the La(2) site, while only a line broadening is seen in the ±3/2 ↔ ±5/2 transition peak. Through further analysis of the spectra, we show that the line splitting is due to a unidirectional charge modulation. A magnetic line broadening is also observed below TDW, accompanied by a large enhancement of the spin-lattice relaxation rate, indicating the formation of magnetically ordered moments in the DW state. Our results suggest a simultaneous formation of charge- and spin-density wave orders in La3Ni2O7–δ, thereby offering critical insights into the electronic correlations in Ni-based superconductors.

Microscopic Origin of Pressure-Enhanced and Robust Superconductivity in Infinite-Layer La₀.8Sr₀.2NiO₂

该研究结合第一性原理计算、压力依赖的双轨道模型以及自洽FLEX和线性化Eliashberg方程,揭示了无限层La₀.₈Sr₀.₂NiO₂中压力增强且稳健超导的微观机制。结果表明,压力升高增大了动能尺度、降低了有效关联强度U/t、增强了层间杂化,并使空穴从La/Sr电荷库转移到关联的Ni区域;在低压下,动能尺度增大和体系趋近最佳中等耦合促进配对,而高压下压力诱导的自掺杂使体系进入过掺杂区,从而抑制超导,形成宽超导穹顶。尽管压缩使费米面显著三维化,与配对相关的自旋磁化率对q_z依赖较弱,仍主要在(π,π)附近出现峰值,因此Ni d_{x²-y²}主导的d波配对态在计算压力范围内保持稳定。这一受限的低能配对框架解释了该材料在兆巴级压缩下超导的异常稳健性。

Multiband Metallic Ground State in Multilayered Nickelates La₃Ni₂O₇ and La₄Ni₃O₁₀ Probed by 139La-NMR at Ambient Pressure

We report a 139La-NMR study of polycrystalline samples of multi(n)-layered nickelates, La3Ni2O7−δ (n = 2) and La4Ni3O10−δ (n = 3), at ambient pressure. Measurements of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and nuclear spin relaxation rate (1/T1) indicate the emergence of a density wave order with a gap below T* ∼ 150 K for La3Ni2O7−δ and ∼130 K for La4Ni3O10−δ. The finite value of 1/T1 below T* indicates metallic ground states with the remaining density of states at the Fermi level (EF) under the density wave order. These features are attributed to multiple d electron bands with different characteristics. Above T*, the gradual decrease in 1/T1T upon cooling implies the presence of a band with flat dispersion near EF. From our microscopic probes, we point out that these nickelates (n = 2 and 3) possess similar electronic states despite the difference in the formal valence of the Ni d electron states, which provides a basis for understanding the novel high-Tc superconductivity under high pressures.

Multimodal Terahertz Spectroscopy of the Pairing Symmetry and Normal-State Pseudogap in (La,Pr)₃Ni₂O₇ Films

该研究通过结合线性太赫兹时域光谱与三阶谐波产生技术,系统探测了压缩应变(La,Pr)₃Ni₂O₇薄膜的超导配对对称性及正常态赝能隙。线性太赫兹光谱观测到超导转变温度以下低频谱权重的显著抑制,伴随弱相干峰以及趋近零温时仍存在的较大剩余电导,与无序s±波配对图像一致。非线性三阶谐波信号在进入超导态后急剧增强,但其响应在超导转变温度以上持续存在,并在约100K处出现扭折,结合角分辨光电子能谱在同类薄膜中观测到的类似温度尺度,将其归因于正常态赝能隙。研究确立了(La,Pr)₃Ni₂O₇为具有s±波类配对的体超导体,且该超导态与另一有序态共存并可能相互竞争,为探索超越铜基和铁基的非常规超导机制提供了新平台。