Electronic structure and superconductivity in nickelates

• Applicant: Dr. Oleg Janson
• Subject Area: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 465000489

A year ago superconductivity was discovered in nickelates by the group of Harold Hwang in Stanford. The aim of the present proposal is to investigate these novel superconducting nickelates with cutting edge methods such as density functional theory combined with dynamical mean-field theory (to treat strong correlations) and the dynamical vertex approximation (DΓA; ideally suited to study superconductivity in an unbiased way). SuperNickel will answer the hotly debated question regarding the relevant low-energy orbitals for nickelates and how these superconductors differ from cuprates. We will perform realistic multi-orbital calculations and improve the parquet DΓA method. Using various nickelates and cuprates as a testbed, we hope to establish a method with predictive power for the superconducting critical temperature TC. With this we eventually aim at a deeper understanding of high temperature superconductivity and at identifying promising new superconductors, possibly palladates or properly engineered heterostructures.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Karsten Held