Orbital-dependent electron correlation in double-layer nickelate La 3 Ni 2 O 7

The latest discovery of high temperature superconductivity near 80 K in La Ni O under high pressure has attracted much attention. Many proposals are put forth to understand the origin of superconductivity. The determination of electronic structures is a prerequisite to establish theories to understand superconductivity in nickelates but is still lacking. Here we report our direct measurement of the electronic structures of La Ni O by high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The Fermi surface and band structures of La Ni O are observed and compared with the band structure calculations. Strong electron correlations are revealed which are orbital- and momentum-dependent. A flat band is formed from the Ni-3d orbitals around the zone corner which is ~ 50 meV below the Fermi level and exhibits the strongest electron correlation. In many theoretical proposals, this band is expected to play the dominant role in generating superconductivity in La Ni O . Our observations provide key experimental information to understand the electronic structure and origin of high temperature superconductivity in La Ni O .