Unconventional superconductivity in proximity to various strongly correlated electronic phases has been a recurring theme in materials as diverse as heavy fermion compounds, cuprates, pnictides, and twisted bilayer graphene. The recent discovery of superconductivity in ‘infinite-layer’ nickelates was motivated by looking for an analog of the cuprates. The synthesis of the nickelates is in and of itself interesting – it involves the removal of planes of oxygen from a 3D nickel oxide using soft chemistry techniques. We will introduce this new family of superconductors and our current understanding of their electronic and magnetic structure. Notable aspects are a doping-dependent superconducting dome, strong magnetic fluctuations, and a landscape of unusual normal state properties from which superconductivity emerges.
Finding unconventional superconductors via unconventional synthesis
Host: John Wei