Journal Article

Superconductivity in pressurized trilayer La4Ni3O10−δ single crystals

Hao, Yiqing, Shen, Yao, Cao, Huibo, Chen, Xu, Peng, Di, Wang, Wenbin, Pan, Bingying, Ji, Li, Li, Nana, Gou, Huiyang, Yang, Wenge, Guo, Jian-gang, Zhao, Jun, Chen, Lixing, Lan, Fujun, Zhu, Yinghao, Han, Jiyuan, Wang, Junjie, Xing, Zhenfang, Chen, Xiaolong, Zeng, Qiaoshi, Jia, Donghan, Ying, Tianping, Zhang, Enkang, Liu, Feiyang, Zheng, Changlin, Wo, Hongliang, Gu, Yimeng, Ren, Huifen, Gu, Yiqing

2024

Overview

The pursuit of discovering new high-temperature superconductors that diverge from the copper-based model 1 – 3 has profound implications for explaining mechanisms behind superconductivity and may also enable new applications 4 – 8 . Here our investigation shows that the application of pressure effectively suppresses the spin–charge order in trilayer nickelate La 4 Ni 3 O 10− δ single crystals, leading to the emergence of superconductivity with a maximum critical temperature ( T c ) of around 30 K at 69.0 GPa. The d.c. susceptibility measurements confirm a substantial diamagnetic response below T c , indicating the presence of bulk superconductivity with a volume fraction exceeding 80%. In the normal state, we observe a strange metal behaviour, characterized by a linear temperature-dependent resistance extending up to 300 K. Furthermore, the layer-dependent superconductivity observed hints at a unique interlayer coupling mechanism specific to nickelates, setting them apart from cuprates in this regard. Our findings provide crucial insights into the fundamental mechanisms underpinning superconductivity, while also introducing a new material platform to explore the intricate interplay between the spin–charge order, flat band structures, interlayer coupling, strange metal behaviour and high-temperature superconductivity. The application of pressure effectively suppresses the spin–charge order in trilayer nickelate La 4 Ni 3 O 10− δ single crystals, leading to the emergence of superconductivity.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 639/301/119/1003 / 639/766/119/1003 / Charge materials / CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY / Copper / Coupling / Crystal structure / Crystals / Cuprates / Diamagnetism / High temperature / High temperature superconductors / Humanities and Social Sciences / Interlayers / MATERIALS SCIENCE / multidisciplinary / Phase transitions / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Single crystals / Superconductivity / Temperature / Temperature dependence