Bulk superconductivity up to 96 K in pressurized nickelate single crystals

Abstract

Recently, the Ruddlesden-Popper bilayer nickelate $L{a}_{3}N{i}_2{O}_7$ has emerged as a superconductor with a transition temperature ($T_c$) of approximately 80 K above 14 GPa (Refs. 1-3). Achieving higher $T_c$ in nickelate superconductors, along with the synthesis of reproducible high-quality single crystals without relying on high-oxygen-pressure growth conditions, remains a significant challenge${}^{[4-7]}$. Here we report superconductivity up to 96 K under high pressure in bilayer nickelate single crystals synthesized at ambient pressure. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, nuclear quadrupole resonance and scanning transmission electron microscopy evidenced high crystal quality of the flux-grown $L{a}_{2}SmN{i}_2{O}_{7-\delta }$ single crystals. $L{a}_{2}SmN{i}_2{O}_7$ exhibits clear bulk superconductivity, including zero resistivity ($T_{c,max}^{onset}$ = 92 K and $T_{c,max}^{zero}$ = 73 K at 21.6 GPa) and the Meissner effect ($T_c$= 60 K at 20.6 GPa). A low-temperature high-pressure structural study indicates that both monoclinic and tetragonal structures can support superconductivity in this bilayer nickelate. Furthermore, we established a correlation between higher $T_c$ under high pressures and larger in-plane lattice distortion under ambient conditions, corroborated by observing even higher $T_c^{onset}$ of 96 K in $L{a}_{1.57}S{m}_{1.43}N{i}_2{O}_{7-\delta }$. This study overcomes key limitations in growing nickelate superconductor crystals, resolves the crystal structure in the superconducting state and demonstrates an effective pathway towards achieving higher $T_c$.

Main text, figures and tables have been updated in the final version published at Nature

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Cited by in corpus (15)

• Superconductivity and Electronic Structures of Nickelate Thin Film Superstructures
• Superconducting gap structure and bosonic mode in La2PrNi2O7 thin films at ambient pressure
• Superconducting Dome in ${\mathrm{La}}_{3-x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_x{\mathrm{Ni}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_{7-\delta }$ Thin Films
• Enhanced superconductivity in the compressively strained bilayer nickelate thin films by pressure
• Lattice-charge coupling in a trilayer nickelate with intertwined density wave order
• Nodeless superconducting gap and electron-boson coupling in (La,Pr,Sm)${}_3$Ni${}_2$O${}_7$ films
• Stabilizing and Tuning Superconductivity in La${}_3$Ni${}_2$O${}_{7-\delta }$ Films: Oxygen Recycling Protocol Reveals Hole-Doping Analogue
• Universal electronic structure of multi-layered nickelates via oxygen-centered planar orbitals
• Compressive Strain Turns $s^{\pm }$ into $d$-Wave Pairing in One-unit-cell La${}_3$Ni${}_2$O${}_7$ Thin Film Via Substrate-Induced Hole Doping
• Progress of ambient-pressure superconductivity in bilayer nickelate thin films
• Effect of doping on the electronic structure, orbital-dependent renormalizations, and magnetic correlations in bilayer La${}_3$Ni${}_2$O${}_7$
• Signature of Unconventional Superconductivity in the High Temperature Normal State Resistivity
• Bridging ambient- and high-pressure superconductivity in La${}_2$LnNi${}_2$O${}_7$ films
• Intertwined Charge and Spin Density Waves in Trilayer Nickelate La${}_4$Ni${}_3$O${}_{10}$ Revealed by ${}^{139}$La NQR
• Spin Fluctuations in the Rare-Earth Doped Bilayer Nickelates