Fermiology and electron dynamics of trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10

Abstract

Layered nickelates have the potential for exotic physics similar to high TC superconducting cuprates as they have similar crystal structures and these transition metals are neighbors in the periodic table. Here we present an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of the trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10 revealing its electronic structure and correlations, finding strong resemblances to the cuprates as well as a few key differences. We find a large hole Fermi surface that closely resembles the Fermi surface of optimally hole-doped cuprates, including its orbital character, hole filling level, and strength of electronic correlations. However, in contrast to cuprates, La4Ni3O10 has no pseudogap in the band, while it has an extra band of principally orbital character, which presents a low temperature energy gap. These aspects drive the nickelate physics, with the differences from the cuprate electronic structure potentially shedding light on the origin of superconductivity in the cuprates.

Counter-thermal flow of holes in high-mobility LaNiO3 thin films

“…We note that B −1 S tan θ H would be significantly suppressed in comparison to ν for a strongly compensated system comprising of electrons and holes 18 (if compensation is exact, S = 0 while ν is large). However, our results do not rule out the possibility of multiple hole bands that may be present in nickelates 43 . Our data also suggest that the main contribution to the Nernst signal comes from deflections of moving holes by the external magnetic field, with no appreciable anomalous Nernst signals due to possible charge/magnetic ordering in LNO.…”

Intertwined density waves in a metallic nickelate

“…Future studies using, for instance, high resolution ARPES and tunneling could shed light on this putative gapping (The gap reported in ref. 16 results from orthorhombic backfolding of the 3z 2 -r 2 bands, as can be seen near the Γ point in Supplementary Fig. 13a.…”

“…Here, we report a dramatically different behavior in a higher order (n = 3) R-P nickelate, R 4 Ni 3 O 10 (R = La, Pr, Nd), in which we find intertwined charge-order and spin-order developing at a metal-to-metal transition (MMT) whose precise mechanism has remained an open question for nearly 25 years [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] . Combining single crystal synchrotron x-ray and neutron diffraction, we find charge and spin-superlattice (SL) reflections below the MMT with incommensurate propagation vectors q c = (0,q c ,0) and q s = (0,1q s ,0), respectively, with q c = 2q s as expected for a system with coupled charge and spin order.…”

Review on quasi-2D square planar nickelates

“…Single crystals of RNiO3 (R=La and Pr), R4Ni3O10 (R=La and Pr) and R4Ni3O8 (R=La and Pr) were first reported by Zhang et al from Mitchell group at Argonne National Laboratory 13,15,31,32,[42][43][44][45][46][47] 50 ) using the high-pressure floating zone techniques. Additionally, synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction were performed on single crystals of R4Ni3O10 and R4Ni3O8 (R=La and Pr) by the Argonne group, revealing diffuse scattering peaks/streaks below their phase transition temperatures 15,33,43 .…”