Assessing the formation of spin and charge stripes in La$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$O$_{7}$ from first-principles

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to predict a stripe magnetic order in La$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$O$_{7}$, revealing insights into its electronic structure and potential superconductivity under pressure.

Contribution

It identifies the ground state of La$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$O$_{7}$ as a stripe phase with specific magnetic and electronic characteristics, advancing understanding of nickelate superconductors.

Findings

Ground state is a stripe magnetic phase with in-plane diagonal stripes.

The material transitions from insulating to metallic under pressure.

Dominant role of $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$ orbitals near the Fermi level.

Abstract

We employ correlated density-functional theory methods (DFT + Hubbard $U$) to investigate the spin-density wave state of the bilayer Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) nickelate La$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$O$_{7}$ which becomes superconducting under pressure. We predict that the ground state of this bilayer RP material is a single spin-charge stripe phase with in-plane up$^\prime$/up/down$^\prime$/down diagonal stripes with up$^\prime$/down$^\prime$ being low spin (formally Ni$^{3+}$: $d^7$) and up/down being high spin (formally Ni$^{2+}$: $d^8$). The main feature of this solution (that is insulating even at $U=0$) is the dominant role of $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$ bands around the Fermi level, which would become doped with the introduction of electrons via oxygen vacancies. In spite of the similarity with cuprates in terms of the dominant role of $d_{x^{2}-y^{2}}$ bands, some differences are apparent in the magnetic ground state of La$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$O$_{7}$: the antiferromagnetic out-of-plane coupling within the bilayer (linked to the $d_{z^2}$ orbitals forming a spin-singlet-like configuration) is found to be the dominant one while in-plane interactions are reduced due to the stripe order of the ground state. With pressure, this striped magnetic ground state remains similar in nature but the increase in bandwidth quickly transitions La$_{3}$Ni$_{2}$O$_{7}$ into a metallic state with all the activity close to the Fermi level involving, to a large extent, $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbitals. This is reminiscent of the cuprates and may provide key insights into how superconductivity arises in this material under pressure.