Uncovering origins of heterogeneous superconductivity in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ using quantum sensors

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Mandyam, Srinivas V., Wang, Esther, Wang, Zhipan, Chen, Bijuan, Jayarama, Nishan C., Gupta, Anmay, Riesel, Eric A., Levitas, Valery I., Laumann, Christopher R., Yao, Norman Y.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Mandyam, Srinivas V.
Wang, Esther
Wang, Zhipan
Chen, Bijuan
Jayarama, Nishan C.
Gupta, Anmay
Riesel, Eric A.
Levitas, Valery I.
Laumann, Christopher R.
Yao, Norman Y.
author_facet Mandyam, Srinivas V.
Wang, Esther
Wang, Zhipan
Chen, Bijuan
Jayarama, Nishan C.
Gupta, Anmay
Riesel, Eric A.
Levitas, Valery I.
Laumann, Christopher R.
Yao, Norman Y.
contents The family of nickelate superconductors have long been explored as analogs of the high temperature cuprates. Nonetheless, the recent discovery that certain stoichiometric nickelates superconduct up to high $T_c$ under pressure came as a surprise. The mechanisms underlying the superconducting state remain experimentally unclear. In addition to the practical challenges posed by working in a high pressure environment, typical samples exhibit anomalously weak diamagnetic responses, which have been conjectured to reflect inhomogeneous `filamentary' superconducting states. We perform wide-field, high-pressure, optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy to image the local diamagnetic responses of as grown La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ samples \emph{in situ}, using nitrogen vacancy quantum sensors embedded in the diamond anvil cell. These maps confirm significant inhomogeneity of the functional superconducting responses at the few micron scale. By spatially correlating the diamagnetic Meissner response with both the local tensorial stress environment, also imaged \emph{in situ}, and stoichiometric composition, we unravel the dominant mechanisms suppressing and enhancing superconductivity. Our wide-field technique simultaneously provides a broad view of sample behavior and excellent local sensitivity, enabling the rapid construction of multi-parameter phase diagrams from the local structure-function correlations observed at the sub-micron pixel scale.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_02429
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Uncovering origins of heterogeneous superconductivity in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ using quantum sensors
Mandyam, Srinivas V.
Wang, Esther
Wang, Zhipan
Chen, Bijuan
Jayarama, Nishan C.
Gupta, Anmay
Riesel, Eric A.
Levitas, Valery I.
Laumann, Christopher R.
Yao, Norman Y.
Superconductivity
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Materials Science
Quantum Physics
The family of nickelate superconductors have long been explored as analogs of the high temperature cuprates. Nonetheless, the recent discovery that certain stoichiometric nickelates superconduct up to high $T_c$ under pressure came as a surprise. The mechanisms underlying the superconducting state remain experimentally unclear. In addition to the practical challenges posed by working in a high pressure environment, typical samples exhibit anomalously weak diamagnetic responses, which have been conjectured to reflect inhomogeneous `filamentary' superconducting states. We perform wide-field, high-pressure, optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy to image the local diamagnetic responses of as grown La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ samples \emph{in situ}, using nitrogen vacancy quantum sensors embedded in the diamond anvil cell. These maps confirm significant inhomogeneity of the functional superconducting responses at the few micron scale. By spatially correlating the diamagnetic Meissner response with both the local tensorial stress environment, also imaged \emph{in situ}, and stoichiometric composition, we unravel the dominant mechanisms suppressing and enhancing superconductivity. Our wide-field technique simultaneously provides a broad view of sample behavior and excellent local sensitivity, enabling the rapid construction of multi-parameter phase diagrams from the local structure-function correlations observed at the sub-micron pixel scale.
title Uncovering origins of heterogeneous superconductivity in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ using quantum sensors
topic Superconductivity
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Materials Science
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.02429