Stability of Superconducting Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 Thin Films

TL;DR

This study reports the successful preparation of superconducting Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 thin films and demonstrates their remarkable stability in ambient conditions, water, and under electrochemical gating, advancing understanding of their robustness for applications.

Contribution

We successfully prepared superconducting Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 thin films and analyzed their stability in various environments, revealing their robustness and potential for practical use.

Findings

Superconducting Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 films last at least 47 days in air.

Superconductivity is lost after 5 hours in de-ionized water.

Films remain stable under ionic liquid gating with up to 4 V.

Abstract

The discovery of superconducting states in the nickelate thin film with infinite-layer structure has paved a new way for studying unconventional superconductivity. So far, research in this field is still very limited due to difficulties in sample preparation. Here we report on the successful preparation of superconducting Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 thin film (Tc = 8.0 - 11.1 K) and study the stability of such films in ambient environment, water and under electrochemical conditions. Our work demonstrates that the superconducting state of Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 is remarkably stable, which can last for at least 47 days continuous exposure to air at 20 degree Celsius and 35% relative humidity. Further we show the superconductivity disappears after being immersed in de-ionized water at room temperature for 5 hours. Surprisingly, it can also survive under ionic liquid gating conditions with applied voltage up to 4 V, which is even more stable than conventional perovskite complex oxides.