CM In the literature: contested

Gap symmetry and pairing mechanism of bilayer La3Ni2O7

In plain words

In La3Ni2O7 electrons in two nickel orbitals take part, and it is unknown whether pairs form mainly between the two layers of each bilayer or within each layer as in cuprates.

Precise statement

For bilayer La3Ni2O7 (hydrostatic pressure above $\sim 140\,\mathrm{kbar}$, or compressively strained films), determine the gap symmetry (interlayer $s\pm$ between bonding and antibonding d_z2-derived bands, or d-wave dominated by d_x2-y2) and the dominant pairing interaction (interlayer superexchange of d_z2 orbitals, Hund-coupled spin fluctuations). An answer is a momentum-resolved or phase-sensitive gap measurement plus a model reproducing $T_c \sim 80\,\mathrm{K}$.

What would settle it

ARPES or quasiparticle interference on superconducting films resolving gap magnitudes and signs on each Fermi sheet, matched by a model calculation of $T_{\mathrm{c}}$.

Status in the literature

Unverified note

Gap-symmetry measurements reported in 2025, including a d-wave claim under pressure, have not converged.

See also