Mirror-Selective Quasiparticle Interference in Bilayer Nickelate Superconductor

Abstract

The recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in both bulk and thin-film bilayer nickelates has garnered significant attention. In this study, inspired by recent STM experiments on thin films, we investigate the quasiparticle interference (QPI) characteristics of bilayer nickelates in both normal and superconducting states to identify their Fermiology and pairing symmetry. We demonstrate that the mirror symmetry inherent in the bilayer structure induces mirror-selective quasiparticle scattering by establishing selection rules based on the mirror properties of impurities and the mirror eigenvalues of electronic wavefunctions. This mirror-selective scattering allows for the differentiation of distinct Fermiologies, as QPI patterns vary markedly between scenarios with and without the $d_{z^2}$-bonding Fermi surface (FS). Furthermore, it enables the separate detection of sign changes in superconducting gaps both within the same FS and between different FSs. Crucially, if the mirror-symmetry-enforced selection rules are ignored, the QPI response of an $s_\pm$-wave state can masquerade as that of a conventional $s$-wave state, leading to a misidentification of the pairing symmetry. When combined with field-dependent and reference QPI measurements, this approach facilitates the precise determination of pairing symmetry, even in the presence of FS-dependent gaps and gap anisotropy. Additionally, we discuss practical considerations for STM measurements to effectively identify the pairing symmetry. Our findings demonstrate that mirror-selective QPI is a powerful tool for distinguishing between different Fermiologies and pairing states, which is helpful in pinning down pairing symmetry and revealing the pairing mechanism in bilayer nickelates.