  Strong resonant enhancements of the charge-order and spin-order
superstructure-diffraction intensities in La1.8Sr0.2NiO4 are observed when
x-ray energies in the vicinity of the Ni L2,3 absorption edges are used. The
pronounced photon-energy and polarization dependences of these diffraction
intensities allow for a critical determination of the local symmetry of the
ordered spin and charge carriers. We found that not only the antiferromagnetic
order but also the charge-order superstructure resides within the NiO2 layers;
the holes are mainly located on in-plane oxygens surrounding a Ni2+ site with
the spins coupled antiparallel in close analogy to Zhang-Rice singlets in the
cuprates.
