Superconductor-insulator transitions in infinite-layer nickelates controlled via ${operando}$ monitored reduction

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a continuous superconductor-insulator transition in infinite-layer nickelates using operando monitored reduction, revealing complex interplay between structural and electronic phases with implications for understanding unconventional superconductivity.

Contribution

We developed an operando monitored reduction method enabling ultrawide-range control of Ni 3d orbital occupancy in nickelates, advancing the understanding of SIT mechanisms.

Findings

SIT achieved via multiple techniques including OMR, ionic liquid gating, and magnetic field.

Pairing initiates at the resistive drop, with global coherence marked by the Meissner effect.

Transition involves a mixture of 2D and 3D superconducting behaviors.

Abstract

Nickelates represent an emerging class of superconductors that demand innovative approaches for structural and electronic phase modulations. Continuous control over superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in nickelates remains particularly challenging, hindering both fundamental understanding and potential applications. Here, we demonstrate SIT in infinite-layer nickelate superconductors utilizing multiple techniques, including an ${operando}$ monitored reduction (OMR) method. OMR enables ultrawide-range continuous modulation of the Ni 3${d}$ orbital electron occupancy from ~3${d}^7$ to ~3${d}^9$. The 3${d}$ occupancy is calibrated through systematic synchrotron X-ray absorption (XAS), combined with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) annular bright field (ABF) analysis of oxygen atoms. SIT is further modulated via ionic liquid gating and magnetic field. Strikingly different from cuprates, our Nernst effect measurements show that pairing initiates at the onset of the resistive drop. The subsequent emergence of the Meissner effect at zero resistance marks the establishment of global phase coherence. Angle-dependent magnetotransport within the transition temperature regime indicates a mixture of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) superconducting characters, suggesting the observed SIT deviates from the canonical 2D model. Our results provide a unique perspective on the interplay of structural and electronic phase transitions in the infinite-layer nickelates across the oxygen content-magnetic field-temperature parameter space.