Anisotropic spin stripe domains in bilayer La<sub>3</sub>Ni<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub>.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40670364.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-61653-w and PMC identifier 12267611.
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Abstract
The discovery of superconductivity in La<sub>3</sub>Ni<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> under pressure has motivated the investigation of a parent spin density wave (SDW) state, which could provide the underlying pairing interaction. Here, we employ resonant soft x-ray scattering and polarimetry on thin films of bilayer La<sub>3</sub>Ni<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> to determine that the magnetic structure of the SDW forms unidirectional diagonal spin stripes with moments lying within the NiO<sub>2</sub> plane and perpendicular to Q<sub>SDW</sub>, but without evidence of the strong charge disproportionation typically associated with other nickelates. These stripes form anisotropic domains with shorter correlation lengths perpendicular versus parallel to Q<sub>SDW</sub>, revealing nanoscale rotational and translational symmetry breaking analogous to the cuprate and Fe-based superconductors, with possible Bloch-like antiferromagnetic domain walls separating orthogonal domains.