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Interlayer interactions in La3Ni2O7 under pressure: From s± to dxy-wave superconductivity

Lauro B. Braz1, George B. Martins2, and Luis G. G. V. Dias da Silva1

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033023 – Published 7 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/f4wf-56fl

Abstract

We investigate the role of interlayer interaction terms in the competition between different superconducting gap symmetries in the bilayer nickelate La3Ni2O7 under high pressure. We study a two-layer, two-orbital electron model that encompasses both intra- and interlayer Coulomb interaction terms within the matrix random-phase approximation. We find that interlayer interactions favor a dxy-wave superconducting pairing symmetry over the s±-wave symmetry, which has been found to prevail when interlayer interactions are disregarded. Moreover, our findings indicate that interlayer interactions enhance the interorbital pairing, incorporating contributions from all three electron pockets, arising from both d3z2−r2 and dx2−y2 orbital characters, resulting in nodes within the gap function (not present in the s±-wave state) and consequently favoring the dxy-wave pairing.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, 033023– Published 7 July, 2025
  • Received 10 March 2025
  • Accepted 1 June 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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