Abstract

The recent discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates has engendered reviving interest in the study of a cuprate-analog system [1]. Notably, superconducting nickelates display signatures of intriguing similarities and distinctions to the cuprates in their phase diagrams, proximity to strongly correlated electronic phases [2,3], antiferromagnetic interactions [4], superconducting anisotropy [5], etc. Partially owing to the non-trivial challenges in materials synthesis and their thin-film nature, experimental demonstration of the intrinsic properties of this materials family has still been limited. In this talk, I will introduce this new family of superconductors synthesized by a soft-chemistry approach and highlight the critical aspects of their electronic and magnetic structure. I will also present our latest work on novel synthetic approaches to the materials system and probing of their distinct features, in a broader context of the unusual role that rare-earth elements and chemical environment play [6]. Finally, I will suggest how new applications of kinetic-based synthetic approaches in oxide heterostructures provide a broad opportunity to create novel nickelate systems in previously inaccessible ways [7].

[1] D. Li et al., Nature 572, 624 (2019). [2] D. Li et al., Physical Review Letters 125, 27001 (2020). [3] K. Lee et al., Nature 619, 288 (2023). [4] H. Lu et al., Science 373, 213 (2021). [5] B. Y. Wang et al., Nature Physics 17, 473 (2021). [6] Z. Dong et al., under review (2024). [7] A. Raji et al., ACS Nano 18, 4077 (2024).