Interplay between Spin Stripes and Pairing Crossover in the Bilayer Hubbard Model

Abstract

Whether $d$-wave or $s_\pm$-wave pairing prevails in the bilayer nickelate \ce{La3Ni2O7} remains unresolved, and how its observed spin order and magnetic excitations relate to the pairing mechanism is unclear. Here, we use finite-temperature determinant quantum Monte Carlo simulations of a minimal bilayer Hubbard model to investigate pairing competition at strong interlayer coupling, where intralayer and interlayer antiferromagnetic correlations have comparable strengths. We find that spin stripes develop spontaneously with increasing hole doping, accompanied by a crossover of the dominant pairing symmetry from $d$-wave to $s_\pm$-wave. The crossover tracks the changing relative strengths of the spin correlations, with the interlayer correlations overtaking their intralayer counterparts in magnitude. Concomitantly, the dynamical spin structure factor exhibits a momentum-dependent reorganization of the magnetic excitations, consistent with fluctuating spin stripes. Our results identify the structure of spin fluctuations as a key link between spin stripes and pairing competition, offering a minimal-model perspective for understanding \ce{La3Ni2O7}.