Intrinsic Spin Susceptibility and Pseudogap-like Behavior in Infinite-Layer LaNiO2

TL;DR

This study uses NMR to reveal a paramagnetic ground state and pseudogap-like behavior in LaNiO2, highlighting significant exchange interactions that inform theoretical understanding of infinite-layer nickelates.

Contribution

First NMR investigation of LaNiO2 revealing a paramagnetic ground state and pseudogap-like behavior, providing new insights into magnetic properties of infinite-layer nickelates.

Findings

No magnetic ordering down to 0.24 K

Observation of pseudogap-like behavior in Knight shift and 1/T1

Evidence of considerable exchange interactions

Abstract

The recent discovery of superconductivity in doped infinite-layer nickelates has stimulated intensive interest, especially for similarities and differences compared to that in cuprate superconductors. In contrast to cuprates, although earlier magnetization measurement reveals a Curie-Weiss-like behavior in undoped infinite-layer nickelates, there is no magnetic ordering observed by elastic neutron scattering down to liquid helium temperature. Until now, the nature of the magnetic ground state in undoped infinite-layer nickelates was still elusive. Here, we perform a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment through 139La nuclei to study the intrinsic spin susceptibility of infinite-layer LaNiO2. First, the signature for magnetic ordering or freezing is absent in the 139La NMR spectrum down to 0.24 K, which unambiguously confirms a paramagnetic ground state in LaNiO2. Second, a pseudogap-like behavior instead of Curie-Weiss-like behavior is observed in both the temperature-dependent Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T1), which is widely observed in both underdoped cuprates and iron-based superconductors. Furthermore, the scaling behavior between the Knight shift and 1/T1T has also been discussed. Finally, the present results imply a considerable exchange interaction in infinite-layer nickelates, which sets a strong constraint for the proposed theoretical models.