Extreme magnetic field-boosted superconductivity in a high-temperature superconductor

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of magnetic field-induced superconductivity in high-temperature infinite-layer nickelates, revealing a mechanism that could enable higher critical magnetic fields in such materials.

Contribution

It demonstrates high-field-stabilized superconductivity in nickelates with Tc up to 40 K, a significant advancement over previous low-Tc materials.

Findings

Superconductivity can be stabilized by magnetic fields in nickelates.

The phenomena are explained by a compensation mechanism similar to the Jaccarino-Peter effect.

Potential for higher upper critical fields in high-temperature superconductors.

Abstract

Magnetic fields typically suppress superconductivity through Pauli and orbital limiting effects. However, there are rare instances of magnetic-field-induced superconductivity, as seen in Chevrel phase compounds [1], organic conductors [2], uranium-based heavy-fermion systems [3, 4], and moire graphene [5], though these materials possess inherently low superconducting transition temperatures (Tc). Here, we demonstrate high field-stabilized superconductivity in a class of materials with a significantly higher Tc (up to 40 K): the infinite-layer nickelates [6]. Both low-field and high-field superconducting states can be plausibly explained by a compensation mechanism akin to the Jaccarino-Peter effect. These findings demonstrate the possibility of achieving substantially enhanced upper critical fields in high-temperature superconductors.