Shear-stress-constrained superconductivity in Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates

Abstract

Ruddlesden-Popper nickelates exhibit superconductivity under pressure in bulk crystals and under epitaxial constraint in thin films, while remaining highly sensitive to sample quality, oxygen content, defects, and stress conditions. We propose that the metastable RP lattice becomes superconducting only when the local constrained deformation of the Ni-O framework falls within a bounded shear-strain window. This deformation controls octahedral rotations, the interlayer Ni-O-Ni bond angle, and coupling between Ni dz2 and dx2-y2 orbitals. This shear-stress-constrained superconductivity scenario unifies the understanding of the pressure threshold, reversibility, spatial inhomogeneity, pressure-medium dependence, film-substrate sensitivity, and reproducibility.