Magnetic excitations in infinite-layer nickelates.

Lu, H; Rossi, M; Nag, A; Osada, M; Li, D F; Lee, K; Wang, B Y; Garcia-Fernandez, M et al. · Science · 2021

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates brings us tantalizingly close to a material class that mirrors the cuprate superconductors. We measured the magnetic excitations in these nickelates using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the Ni <i>L</i> <sub>3</sub>-edge. Undoped NdNiO<sub>2</sub> possesses a branch of dispersive excitations with a bandwidth of approximately 200 milli-electron volts, which is reminiscent of the spin wave of strongly coupled, antiferromagnetically aligned spins on a square lattice. The substantial damping of these modes indicates the importance of coupling to rare-earth itinerant electrons. Upon doping, the spectral weight and energy decrease slightly, whereas the modes become overdamped. Our results highlight the role of Mottness in infinite-layer nickelates.