Shared pairing mechanism between nickelates and cuprates

Determine whether the superconducting pairing mechanism in infinite-layer nickelates (R1−xSrxNiO2, with R a rare-earth such as Nd, Pr, or La) is the same as the pairing mechanism in cuprate superconductors, in order to clarify potential commonality between the two families and its implications for high-temperature superconductivity.

Background

The motivation to compare infinite-layer nickelates with cuprates stems from similarities in electron count and square-planar NiO2 geometry, which could imply related superconducting physics. Establishing whether they share the same pairing mechanism would directly inform theories of high-temperature superconductivity.

The paper references ongoing efforts to probe d-wave superconductivity, charge density waves, and strange-metal behavior in nickelates, underscoring that a definitive identification of the pairing mechanism remains unsettled and is central to connecting nickelates to cuprate phenomenology.