Large-Tiny Spin-Stripe SDW Order in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ via $^{139}$La-NQR Spectroscopy: Reconsideration Based on the $Am2m$ Structure

Abstract

The lower-symmetry $Am2m$ structure was recently proposed as the intrinsic ambient-pressure phase of La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ based on synchrotron x-ray diffraction, whereas earlier studies investigated its properties assuming the commonly accepted $Amam$ structure. Here, we reexamine the crystal structure in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ and the spin configuration of spin-density-wave (SDW) state via $^{139}$La nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR). The observation of two distinct La(2) sites in the NQR spectra is naturally accounted for by the $Am2m$ structure without any special assumptions, whereas it cannot be reconciled within the $Amam$ framework. Within the $Am2m$ framework, we reanalyze the spin configuration of the SDW phase and identify it as a large-tiny spin-stripe structure, arising naturally from two inequivalent Ni sites with large and tiny magnetic moments. These results establish the itinerant nature of the SDW order at ambient pressure in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$, providing a basis for understanding its relationship to the emergence of high-$T_c$ superconductivity under high pressure.