Electronic structure of Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates: strain to mimic the effects pressure

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhao, Yi-Feng, Botana, Antia S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Zhao, Yi-Feng
Botana, Antia S.
author_facet Zhao, Yi-Feng
Botana, Antia S.
contents Signatures of superconductivity under pressure have recently been reported in the bilayer La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ and trilayer La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) nickelates with general chemical formula La$_{n+1}$Ni$_n$O$_{3n+1}$ ($n=$ number of perovskite layers along the $c$-axis). The emergence of superconductivity is always concomitant with a structural transition in which the octahedral tilts are suppressed, bringing the apical Ni-O-Ni angle to 180$^\circ$ and causing an increase in the out-of-plane $d_{z^2}$ orbital overlap. Due to this strong interlayer coupling, a flat band of pure $d_{z^2}$ character crosses the Fermi level. Here, using first-principles calculations, we explore biaxial strain (both compressive and tensile) as a means to mimic the electronic structure characteristics of RP nickelates (up to $n=5$) under hydrostatic pressure. Our findings highlight that strain allows to decouple the structural and electronic structure effects obtained under hydrostatic pressure: while compressive strain brings the apical Ni-O-Ni angle closer to 180$^\circ$, it shifts the $d_{z^2}$ flat bands away from the Fermi energy, giving rise to a more cuprate-like electronic structure. In contrast, tensile strain reduces the apical Ni-O-Ni angle (to values $\sim$ 160$^\circ$), but it recovers the flat $d_{z^2}$ band at the Fermi level appearing in the bilayer and trilayer RPs under pressure. Overall, strain represents a promising way to tune the electronic structure of RP nickelates and could be an alternative route to achieve superconductivity at ambient pressure in this family of materials.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_04391
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Electronic structure of Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates: strain to mimic the effects pressure
Zhao, Yi-Feng
Botana, Antia S.
Superconductivity
Signatures of superconductivity under pressure have recently been reported in the bilayer La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ and trilayer La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$ Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) nickelates with general chemical formula La$_{n+1}$Ni$_n$O$_{3n+1}$ ($n=$ number of perovskite layers along the $c$-axis). The emergence of superconductivity is always concomitant with a structural transition in which the octahedral tilts are suppressed, bringing the apical Ni-O-Ni angle to 180$^\circ$ and causing an increase in the out-of-plane $d_{z^2}$ orbital overlap. Due to this strong interlayer coupling, a flat band of pure $d_{z^2}$ character crosses the Fermi level. Here, using first-principles calculations, we explore biaxial strain (both compressive and tensile) as a means to mimic the electronic structure characteristics of RP nickelates (up to $n=5$) under hydrostatic pressure. Our findings highlight that strain allows to decouple the structural and electronic structure effects obtained under hydrostatic pressure: while compressive strain brings the apical Ni-O-Ni angle closer to 180$^\circ$, it shifts the $d_{z^2}$ flat bands away from the Fermi energy, giving rise to a more cuprate-like electronic structure. In contrast, tensile strain reduces the apical Ni-O-Ni angle (to values $\sim$ 160$^\circ$), but it recovers the flat $d_{z^2}$ band at the Fermi level appearing in the bilayer and trilayer RPs under pressure. Overall, strain represents a promising way to tune the electronic structure of RP nickelates and could be an alternative route to achieve superconductivity at ambient pressure in this family of materials.
title Electronic structure of Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates: strain to mimic the effects pressure
topic Superconductivity
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.04391