Hole superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates

Abstract

We propose that the superconductivity recently observed in Nd$_{0.8}$Sr$_{0.2}$NiO$_2$ with critical temperature in the range $9$ K to $15$ K results from the same charge carriers and the same mechanism that we have proposed give rise to superconductivity in both hole-doped and electron-doped cuprates: pairing of hole carriers in oxygen $p\pi$ orbitals, driven by a correlated hopping term in the effective Hamiltonian that lowers the kinetic energy, as described by the theory of hole superconductivity. We predict a large increase in $T_c$ with compressive epitaxial strain.