New experimental measurements of nickelate superconductors have provided fresh insight into the hidden electronic behavior of these unusual materials.

The origin of high-temperature superconductivity remains one of the biggest unresolved questions in Condensed Matter Physics. Now, researchers in China have made significant progress in understanding high-temperature nickelate superconductors.

Figure 1. Researchers Discover Nodeless Gap and Electron-Boson Coupling in Nickelate Films

By studying the electronic structure of Ruddlesden-Popper bilayer nickelate superconducting thin films, the team identified a nodeless superconducting gap for the first time and also detected evidence of electron-boson coupling. These results provide important clues related to two major questions surrounding high-TC nickelates: the symmetry of the superconducting gap and the mechanism responsible for superconducting pairing. Figure 1 shows Researchers Discover Nodeless Gap and Electron-Boson Coupling in Nickelate Films.

The research was led by Junfeng He from the University of Science and Technology of China, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The project was carried out in collaboration with teams headed by Qikun Xue and Zhuoyu Chen at the Southern University of Science and Technology. The findings were published in the journal Science on May 21, 2026.

Scientists Search for the Hidden Superconducting Gap

Since its discovery in 1911, superconductivity has fascinated physicists because of its unusual electromagnetic behavior and its potential technological applications. Over the decades, researchers have identified both copper-based and iron-based high-temperature superconductors, yet the underlying mechanism responsible for high-TC superconductivity remains unresolved. Nickel-based superconductors, known as nickelates, have now emerged as an important new platform for investigating this long-standing mystery.

One of the most important clues in understanding high-TC superconductors is the symmetry of the “superconducting gap,” which describes how electrons pair and move through the material. A central question is whether the superconducting gap contains “nodes” — points in momentum space where the gap becomes zero.

Using Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy (ARPES), the researchers examined Ruddlesden-Popper bilayer nickelate superconducting thin films. Their measurements revealed no gap nodes anywhere in momentum space, a finding consistent with s-wave (s±) superconducting gap symmetry.

Scientists Find Evidence of Electron-Boson Coupling

Another key mystery in high-temperature superconductivity is how electrons form the paired states required for superconducting behavior. One leading theory proposes that this pairing occurs through “electron-boson coupling,” where bosons mediate interactions between electrons.

In the new study, the researchers detected a dispersion kink approximately 70 meV below the Fermi level — a well-known signature of electron-boson coupling [1]. This observation provides important evidence for understanding how electron pairing may arise in high-TC nickelate superconductors.

The collaboration combined expertise from both institutions: the Southern University of Science and Technology team focused on growing the thin-film samples, while the University of Science and Technology of China team carried out the electronic structure measurements.

To preserve the delicate oxygen content of the samples during transport, the researchers developed a specialized liquid-nitrogen-cooled ultra-high-vacuum low-temperature quenching and transfer technique. This method enabled the samples to be safely transported from Shenzhen to Hefei and proved essential for the success of the experiments.

References

1. https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-crack-key-mystery-behind-high-temperature-superconductors/

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