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Multiorbital character of the density wave in trilayer nickelate superconductors

Abhi Suthar1, Vignesh Sundaramurthy1, Matías Bejas2, Congcong Le3, Pascal Puphal1, Pablo Sosa-Lizama1, Armin Schulz1, Jürgen Nuss1, Masahiko Isobe1 et al.

Peter A. van Aken1, Y. Eren Suyolcu1, Matteo Minola1, Andreas P. Schnyder1, Xianxin Wu4, Bernhard Keimer1, Giniyat Khaliullin1, Andrés Greco2,*, and Matthias Hepting1,†

  • *Contact author: agreco@fceia.unr.edu.ar
  • †Contact author: hepting@fkf.mpg.de
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Phys. Rev. B 114, 045132 – Published 30 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/znvc-8425

Abstract

Ruddlesden–Popper nickelates exhibit high-temperature superconductivity closely intertwined with charge and spin density waves. However, fundamental questions persist regarding the interplay between the associated density wave (DW) fluctuations and superconductivity, as well as the orbital character and symmetry underlying the DW instabilities. Here, we utilize polarized Raman scattering to investigate the phononic and electronic Raman responses of the trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10 across its concomitant charge and spin density wave transitions. In addition to distinct phonon anomalies occurring below the transition temperature, we observe a depletion of continuum spectral weight up to 114 meV and a pronounced peak centered at this energy. By combining momentum-selective information from polarized electronic Raman scattering with Raman-response model calculations based on a multiorbital Raman vertex in a reconstructed two-orbital DW state involving both Ni−3dx2−y2 and Ni−3dz2 orbitals, we identify 114 meV as the energy scale 2ΔDW of the DW gap, characterized by incoherent opening and non-mean-field behavior. Furthermore, the model calculations reveal that the corresponding 2ΔDW peak has a multiorbital origin, requiring both orbital contributions and their mixing beyond single-orbital projections, thus shedding light on the nature of the DW instabilities in La4Ni3O10.

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Phys. Rev. B 114, 045132– Published 30 July, 2026
  • Received 10 October 2025
  • Accepted 8 July 2026
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