Self-Doping and the Mott-Kondo Scenario for Infinite-Layer Nickelate Superconductors

We give a brief review of the Mott-Kondo scenario and its consequence in the recently-discovered infinite-layer nickelate superconductors. We argue that the parent state is a self-doped Mott insulator and propose an effective t- J-K model to account for its low-energy properties. At small doping, the model describes a low carrier density Kondo system with incoherent Kondo scattering at finite temperatures, in good agreement with experimental observation of the logarithmic temperature dependence of electric resistivity. Upon increasing Sr doping, the model predicts a breakdown of the Kondo effect, which provides a potential explanation of the non-Fermi liquid behavior of the electric resistivity with a power law scaling over a wide range of the temperature. Unconventional superconductivity is shown to undergo a transition from nodeless (d+is)-wave to nodal d-wave near the critical doping due to competition of the Kondo and Heisenberg superexchange interactions. The presence of different pairing symmetry may be supported by recent tunneling measurements.

Universal spin-glass behaviour in bulk LaNiO2, PrNiO2 and NdNiO2

Motivated by the recent discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelate thin films, we report on a synthesis and magnetization study on bulk samples of the parent compounds RNiO2 (R=La, Pr, Nd). The frequency-dependent peaks of the AC magnetic susceptibility, along with remarkable memory effects, characterize spin-glass states. Furthermore, various phenomenological parameters via different spin glass models show strong similarity within these three compounds as well as with other rare-earth metal nickelates. The universal spin-glass behaviour distinguishes the nickelates from the parent compound CaCuO2 of cuprate superconductors, which has the same crystal structure and d9 electronic configuration but undergoes a long-range antiferromagnetic order. Our investigations may indicate a distinctly different nature of magnetism and superconductivity in the bulk nickelates than in the cuprates.

A Nickelate Renaissance

The 2019 discovery of high temperature superconductivity in layered nickelate films, Nd1-xSrNiO2, has galvanized a community that has been studying nickelates for more than 30 years both as cuprate analogs and in their own right. On the surface, infinite layer nickelates, and their multilayer analogs, should be promising candidates based on our understanding of cuprates: square planar coordination and a parent d9 configuration that places a single hole in a dx2-y2 planar orbital makes nickelates seem poised for superconductivity. But creating crystals and films of sufficient quality of this d9 configuration in Ni1+ has proven to be a synthetic challenge, only recently overcome. These crystalline specimens are opening windows that shed new light on the cuprate-nickelate analogy and reveal nuances that leave the relationship between cuprates and nickelates very much an area open to debate. This Perspective gives a qualitative, phenomenological account of these newly discovered superconductors and multilayer members of the infinite layer nickelate family. The focus is on our current understanding of electronic and magnetic properties of these materials as well as some future opportunities, explored from the viewpoint of synthetic challenges and some suggested developments in materials discovery and growth to make further progress in this rejuvenated field.

Soft X-Ray Spectroscopy of Low-Valence Nickelates

Low-valence nickelates—including infinite-layer (IL) and trilayer (TL) compounds—are longstanding candidates for mimicking the high-temperature superconductivity of cuprates. A recent breakthrough in the field came with the discovery of superconductivity in hole-doped IL nickelates. Yet, the degree of similarity between low-valence nickelates and cuprates is the subject of a profound debate for which soft x-ray spectroscopy experiments at the Ni L- and O K-edge provided critical input. In this review, we will discuss the essential elements of the electronic structure of low-valance nickelates revealed by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS). Furthermore, we will review magnetic excitations observed in the RIXS spectra of IL and TL nickelates, which exhibit characteristics that are partly reminiscent of those of cuprates.

Observation of Josephson-like Tunneling Junction Characteristics and Positive Magnetoresistance in Oxygen Deficient Nickelate Films of Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO3−δ

Nickelate films have recently attracted broad attention due to the observation of superconductivity in the infinite layer phase of Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 (obtained by reducing Sr doped NdNiO3 films) and their similarity to the cuprates high temperature superconductors. Here, we report on the observation of a new type of transport in oxygen poor Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO3−δ films. At high temperatures, variable range hopping is observed while at low temperatures a novel tunneling behavior is found where a Josephson-like tunneling junction characteristic with serial resistance is revealed. We attribute this phenomenon to coupling between superconductive (S) surfaces of the grains in our Oxygen poor films via the insulating (I) grain boundaries, which yields SIS junctions in series with the normal (N) resistance of the grains themselves. The similarity of the observed conductance spectra to the tunneling junction characteristic with Josephson-like current is striking, and seems to support the existence of superconductivity in our samples.