Superconductivity in pressurized trilayer La4Ni3O10−δ single crystals

• Published in: Nature (London) 2024-07, Vol.631 (8021), p.531-536
• Main Authors: Zhu, Yinghao, Peng, Di, Zhang, Enkang, Pan, Bingying, Chen, Xu, Chen, Lixing, Ren, Huifen, Liu, Feiyang, Hao, Yiqing, Li, Nana, Xing, Zhenfang, Lan, Fujun, Han, Jiyuan, Wang, Junjie, Jia, Donghan, Wo, Hongliang, Gu, Yiqing, Gu, Yimeng, Ji, Li, Wang, Wenbin, Gou, Huiyang, Shen, Yao, Ying, Tianping, Chen, Xiaolong, Yang, Wenge, Cao, Huibo, Zheng, Changlin, Zeng, Qiaoshi, Guo, Jian-gang, Zhao, Jun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301/119/1003; 639/766/119/1003; Charge materials; 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
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07553-3

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.