Synthesis and Electronic Structure of Nickelate Superconductors

The broad agenda of designing and synthesizing materials with strongly correlated behavior, in a controllable and predictable manner, poses an exciting research frontier. The discovery of superconductivity in cuprates decades ago had stirred enduring interest in searching for analogous materials systems. In this talk, I will present our observation of superconductivity in an infinite-layer nickelate thin film synthesized by a soft-chemistry approach, and the study of its superconducting anisotropy and phase diagram. This system is of particular interest due to its potential relationship with the high-T_c cuprate superconductors, in that they share a similar crystal structure and starting electronic configuration. I also highlight the key aspects of its electronic structure, which turn out to be inherently distinct from cuprates, including the unusual role of Nd bands. Finally, I will suggest how new applications of kinetic-based synthetic approaches in oxide heterostructures provide a broad opportunity to create novel quantum systems in previously inaccessible ways.