Superconductivity and local stacking polymorphism in LaNiGa2 thin films
LaNiGa2 has attracted considerable interest as a candidate unconventional superconductor, particularly due to its reported time-reversal symmetry breaking and nonsymmorphic crystal structure hosting symmetry-protected electronic band degeneracies. Here, we report the growth and characterization of superconducting LaNiGa2 thin films on MgO substrates by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction reveals highly crystalline, (010)-oriented films with well-defined in-plane alignment and rotational twinning. Electrical transport measurements establish superconductivity with a transition temperature of approximately 1 K. Atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals local variations in crystallographic orientation and interlayer stacking, with a predominantly Cmcm structure containing minority Cmmm regions. The coexistence of these closely related structures reveals local stacking polymorphism that is difficult to distinguish using conventional X-ray diffraction. These findings establish a superconducting LaNiGa2 thin-film platform and provide new insight into the local crystal structure of a material whose electronic properties and superconducting pairing remain under active investigation.