Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userIsotropic Pauli-Limited Superconductivity in the Infinite Layer Nickelate Nd$_{0.775}$Sr$_{0.225}$NiO$_{2}$
169
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
The recent observation of superconductivity in thin film infinite-layer nickelates$^{1-3}$ offers a different angle to investigate superconductivity in layered oxides$^{4}$. A wide range of candidate models have been proposed$^{5-10}$, emphasizing single- or multi-orbital electronic structure, Kondo or Hunds coupling, and analogies to cuprates. Clearly, further experimental characterization of the superconducting state is needed to develop a full understanding of the nickelates. Here we use magnetotransport measurements to probe the superconducting anisotropy in Nd$_{0.775}$Sr$_{0.225}$NiO$_{2}$. We find that the upper critical field is surprisingly isotropic at low temperatures despite the layered crystal structure. In a magnetic field the superconductivity is strongly Pauli-limited, such that the paramagnetic effect dominates over orbital de-pairing. Underlying this isotropic response is a substantial anisotropy in the superconducting coherence length, which is at least four times longer in-plane than out-of-plane. A prominent low-temperature upturn in the upper critical field indicates the presence of an unconventional ground state.
rate research
Read More
The recent observation of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelate Nd$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$NiO$_{2}$ has received considerable attention. Despite the many efforts to understand the superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates, a consensus on the underlying mechanism for the superconductivity has yet to be reached, partly owing to the challenges with the material synthesis. Here, we report the successful growth of superconducting infinite-layer Nd$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$NiO$_{2}$ films by pulsed-laser deposition and soft chemical reduction. The details on growth process will be discussed.
To understand the superconductivity recently discovered in Nd$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$NiO$_2$, we carried out LDA+DMFT (local density approximation plus dynamical mean-field theory) and magnetic force response calculations. The on-site correlation in Ni-$3d$ orbitals causes notable changes in the electronic structure. The calculated temperature-dependent susceptibility exhibits the Curie-Weiss behavior, indicating the localized character of its moment. From the low-frequency behavior of self-energy, we conclude that the undoped phase of this nickelate is Fermi-liquid-like contrary to cuprates. Interestingly, the estimated correlation strength by means of the inverse of quasiparticle weight is found to increase and then decrease as a function of hole concentration, forming a dome-like shape. Another finding is that magnetic interactions in this material become two-dimensional by hole doping. While the undoped NdNiO$_2$ has the sizable out-of-plane interaction, hole dopings strongly suppress it. This two-dimensionality is maximized at the hole concentration $deltaapprox0.25$. Further analysis as well as the implications of our findings are presented.
We report the phase diagram of infinite layer Pr$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$NiO$_2$ thin films synthesized via topotactic reduction from the perovskite precursor phase using CaH$_2$. Based on the electrical transport properties, we find a doping-dependent superconducting dome extending between $x$ = 0.12 and 0.28, with a maximum superconducting transition temperature $T_{rm{c}}$ of 14 K at $x$ = 0.18, bounded by weakly insulating behavior on both sides. In contrast to the narrower dome observed in Nd$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$NiO$_2$, a local $T_{rm{c}}$ suppression near $x$ = 0.2 was not observed for the Pr$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$NiO$_2$ system. Normal state Hall effect measurements indicate mixed carrier contributions of both electrons and holes, and show a sign change in the Hall coefficient as functions of temperature and $x$, quite similar to that in Nd$_{1-x}$Sr$_{x}$NiO$_2$. Also similar is the observation of a minimum in the normal state resistivity associated with the superconducting compositions. These findings indicate an infinite layer nickelate phase diagram that is relatively insensitive to the rare-earth element, but suggest that disorder arising from the variations of the ionic radii on the rare-earth site affects the superconducting dome.
The recently reported superconductivity 9-15 K in Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2/SrTiO3 heterostructures that were fabricated by a soft-chemical topotactic reduction approach based on precursor Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO3 thin films deposited on SrTiO3 substrates, has excited an immediate surge of research interest. To explore an alternative physical path instead of chemical reduction for realizing superconductivity in this compound, using pulsed laser deposition, we systematically fabricated 63 Nd0.8Sr0.2NiOx (NSNO) thin films at a wide range of oxygen partial pressures on various different oxide substrates. Transport measurements did not find any signature of superconductivity in all the 63 thin-film samples. With reducing the oxygen content in the NSNO films by lowering the deposition oxygen pressure, the NSNO films are getting more resistive and finally become insulating. Furthermore, we tried to cap a 20-nm-thick amorphous LaAlO3 layer on a Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO3 thin film deposited at a high oxygen pressure of 150 mTorr to create oxygen vacancies on its surface and did not succeed in higher conductivity either. Our experimental results together with the recent report on the absence of superconductivity in synthesized bulk Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 crystals suggest that the chemical reduction approach could be unique for yielding superconductivity in NSNO/SrTiO3 heterostructures. However, SrTiO3 substrates could be reduced to generate oxygen vacancies during the chemical reduction process as well, which may thus partially contribute to conductivity.
The recent discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates has motivated tremendous efforts to study these materials that are analogous to cuprates. However, superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates has been realized only in thin films grown on SrTiO$_3$ substrates, thus raising the question whether it is interface-induced and the query into the role of SrTiO$_3$ substrate. Here, we report the observation of superconductivity in Pr$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$NiO$_2$ films prepared at almost the same conditions except they are grown on different substrates (LaAlO$_3$)$_{0.3}$(Sr$_2$AlTaO$_6$)$_{0.7}$ (LSAT) and SrTiO$_3$ with the corresponding onset of superconductivity maximized at 15 K and 9K, respectively. Our results not only suggest that the superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates is unlikely an interface-induced phenomenon and that the SrTiO$_3$ substrate is not a necessary for the emergence of superconductivity, but also indicate that the compressive strain can possibly increase T$_c$ of Pr$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$NiO$_2$.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
