Novel Thin-Film Nickelates and Oxide Heterostructures by Design

Nickelates have emerged as a new class of high-temperature superconductors possessing various lattice structures. However, accessing these phases remains challenging. To this end, leveraging thin-film heterostructure assisted by kinetic-based topotactic reduction has proven to be an effective strategy in stabilizing the otherwise meta-stable nickelate compounds, and for uncovering emergent phenomena as well as superconductivity. In this talk, I will discuss recent representative thin-film nickelates, for which we have implemented various unusual materials synthesis approaches, including high-quality ‘parent’ infinite-layer nickelates on an orthorhombic substrate, a new samarium-based nickelate compound, as well as new phases enabled by (electro-)chemical methods. The intriguing properties of these materials suggest how innovative applications of kinetic-based materials strategies in oxide heterostructures provide a broad opportunity to create novel nickelate systems in previously inaccessible ways.