Orbital-Selective Quasiparticle Depletion across the Density Wave Transition in Trilayer Nickelate La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$

TL;DR

This study uses polarized Raman spectroscopy to explore how quasiparticles associated with specific orbitals evolve across a density wave transition in trilayer nickelate La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$, revealing orbital-selective coherence changes.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of orbital-specific quasiparticle behavior and symmetry channels involved in the density wave transition in this nickelate.

Findings

Reduction of incoherent electron continuum across transition

Identification of $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbitals as key in density wave formation

Insight into electronic and magnetic correlations in nickelates

Abstract

We investigate the evolution of polarized electronic Raman response in trilayer nickelate La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10}$, uncovering a systematic reduction of the incoherent electron continuum across the density wave transition in the $A_{1g}$ and $B_{1g}$ representations. Analysis based on the Fermi surface band curvatures points to quasiparticle coherence in momentum positions with dominant $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbital character. Our findings establish the symmetry channels and the active role of $d_{x^2-y^2}$ orbitals involved in the density wave formation, offering important insight into the electronic and magnetic correlations in the nickelate.