Spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking induced by electronic instability in the normal state of La_{1-x} Sr_{x} NiO_{2}
The spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking (RSB), a hallmark phenomenon in cuprate and iron-based high-temperature superconductors, is believed to intimately connected to superconductivity, both of which originate from interactions among different degrees of freedoms and competing quantum states. Understanding RSB is pivotal for unraveling the microscopic origin of unconventional superconductivity. Although infinite-layer nickelates (ILNs) share similar crystalline structure and the same nominal 3d-electron configurations with cuprates, they have significant differences in Fermi surface topology, electronic band characteristics, and charge order. These distinctions make ILNs an ideal platform for studying RSB in unconventional superconductors. Through angular-resolved resistivity measurements within a large temperature and doping range, we identify pronounced RSB signatures near doping concentrations x=0.05 and 0.25. Based on the strongly correlated electronic structures from combined density functional theory and dynamical mean field theory calculations, we find that the calculated electronic susceptibility has a peak structure at the corresponding doping concentration, indicating pronounced electronic instabilities which drive RSB. Detailed analysis of the electronic susceptibility demonstrates that the van Hove singularity at the Fermi level significantly contributes to the electronic instability at 0.05 Sr doping. Our findings reveal the important role of electronic correlation, Van Hove singularity, and Fermi surface nesting in the emergence of RSB. Our work not only deepens the understanding of electronic behavior in ILNs, but also provides new ideas and methods for exploring RSB in other unconventional superconductors.