Symmetry of spin excitation spectra in the tetragonal paramagnetic and superconducting phases of 122-ferropnictides
J. T. Park, D. S. Inosov, A. Yaresko, S. Graser, D. L. Sun, Ph. Bourges, Y. Sidis, Yuan Li, J. -H. Kim, D. Haug, A. Ivanov, K. Hradil, A. Schneidewind, P. Link,… 展开作者
J. T. Park, D. S. Inosov, A. Yaresko, S. Graser, D. L. Sun, Ph. Bourges, Y. Sidis, Yuan Li, J. -H. Kim, D. Haug, A. Ivanov, K. Hradil, A. Schneidewind, P. Link, E. Faulhaber, I. Glavatskyy, C. T. Lin, B. Keimer, V. Hinkov
备注：
To be published in Phys. Rev. B. 18 pages, 14 figures, including one interactive figure. References updated and supplied with hyperlinks (v3); Fig. 3 added with an interactive comparison of different Brillouin zones, introduction extended (v2)
We study the symmetry of spin excitation spectra in 122-ferropnictide superconductors by comparing the results of first-principles calculations with inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements on BaFe1.85Co0.15As2 and BaFe1.91Ni0.09As2 samples that exhibit neither static magnetic phases nor structural phase transitions. In both the normal and superconducting (SC) states, the spectrum lacks the 42/m screw symmetry around the (1/2 1/2 L) axis that is implied by the I4/mmm space group. This is manifest both in the in-plane anisotropy of the normal- and SC-state spin dynamics and in the out-of-plane dispersion of the spin-resonance mode. We show that this effect originates from the higher symmetry of the magnetic Fe sublattice with respect to the crystal itself, hence the INS signal inherits the symmetry of the unfolded Brillouin zone (BZ) of the Fe sublattice. The in-plane anisotropy is temperature-independent and can be qualitatively reproduced in normal-state density-functional-theory calculations without invoking a symmetry-broken ("nematic") ground state that was previously proposed as an explanation for this effect. Below the SC transition, the energy of the magnetic resonant mode Er, as well as its intensity and the SC spin gap inherit the normal-state intensity modulation along the out-of-plane direction L with a period twice larger than expected from the body-centered-tetragonal BZ symmetry. The amplitude of this modulation decreases at higher doping, providing an analogy to the splitting between even and odd resonant modes in bilayer cuprates. Combining our and previous data, we show that at odd L a universal linear relationship Er=4.3*kB*Tc holds for all studied Fe-based superconductors, independent of their carrier type. Its validity down to the lowest doping levels is consistent with weaker electron correlations in ferropnictides as compared to the underdoped cuprates.
We use polarized neutron scattering to demonstrate that in-plane spin excitations in electron doped superconducting BaFe1.904Ni0.096As2 (Tc=19.8 K) change from isotropic to anisotropic in the tetragonal phase well above the antiferromagnetic (AF) ordering and tetragonal-to-orthorhombic lattice distortion temperatures (Tn=Ts=33 K) without an uniaxial pressure. While the anisotropic spin excitations are not sensitive to the AF order and tetragonal-to-orthorhombic lattice distortion, superconductivity induces further anisotropy for spin excitations along the [1,1,0] and [1,-1,0] directions. These…
We use neutron polarization analysis to study temperature dependence of the spin excitation anisotropy in BaFe$_2$As$_2$, which has a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural distortion at $T_s$ and antiferromagnetic (AF) phase transition at $T_N$ with ordered moments along the orthorhombic $a$-axis below $T_s\approx T_N\approx 136$ K. In the paramagnetic tetragonal state at 160 K, spin excitations are isotropic in spin space with $M_a=M_b=M_c$, where $M_a$, $M_b$, and $M_c$ are spin excitations polarized along the $a$, $b$, and $c$-axis directions of the orthorhombic lattice, respectively. On co…
Using non-resonant Fe K-beta x-ray emission spectroscopy, we reveal that Sr-doping of CaFe2As2 decouples the Fe moment from the volume collapse transition, yielding a collapsed-tetragonal, paramagnetic normal state out of which superconductivity develops. X-ray diffraction measurements implicate the c-axis lattice parameter as the controlling criterion for the Fe moment, promoting a generic description for the appearance of pressure-induced superconductivity in the alkaline-earth-based 122 ferropnictides (AFe2As2). The evolution of the superconducting critical temperature with pressure lends s…
Understanding the interplay between nematicity, magnetism and superconductivity is pivotal for elucidating the physics of iron-based superconductors. Here we use neutron scattering to probe magnetic and nematic orders throughout the phase diagram of NaFe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$As, finding that while both static antiferromagnetic and nematic orders compete with superconductivity, the onset temperatures for these two orders remain well-separated approaching the putative quantum critical points. We uncover local orthorhombic distortions that persist well above the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural tran…
Unlike the ferropnictide superconductors, which crystallize in a tetragonal crystal structure, binary FeAs forms in an orthorhombic crystal structure, where the local atomic environment resembles a highly distorted variant of the FeAs4 tetrahdedral building block of the ferropnictide superconductors. However, like the parent compounds of the ferropnictide superconductors, FeAs undergoes magnetic ordering at low temperatures, with no evidence favoring a superconducting ground state at ambient pressure. We employ pressure-dependent electrical transport and x-ray diffraction measurements using di…
Magnetic interactions are generally believed to play a key role in mediating electron pairing for superconductivity in iron arsenides; yet their character is only partially understood. Experimentally, the antiferromagnetic (AF) transition is always preceded by or coincident with a tetragonal to orthorhombic structural distortion. Although it has been suggested that this lattice distortion is driven by an electronic nematic phase, where a spontaneously generated electronic liquid crystal state breaks the C4 rotational symmetry of the paramagnetic state, experimental evidence for electronic anis…
We use unpolarized and polarized inelastic neutron scattering to study low-energy spin excitations in NaFeAs, which exhibits a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic lattice distortion at $T_s\approx 58$ K followed by a collinear antiferromagnetic (AF) order below $T_N\approx 45$ K. In the AF ordered state ($T<T_N$), spin waves are entirely c-axis polarized below $\sim$10 meV, exhibiting a gap of $\sim4$ meV at the AF zone center and disperse to $\sim$7 meV near the c-axis AF zone boundary. On warming to the paramagnetic state with orthorhombic lattice distortion ($T_N<T<T_s$), spin excitations become ani…
Recent studies reveal a pressure induced transition from a paramagnetic tetragonal phase (T) to a collapsed tetragonal phase (CT) in $CaFe_2As_2$, which was found to be superconducting with non-hydrostatic pressure at low temperature. We have investigated the effects of electron correlation and local fluctuating moment in both tetragonal and collapsed tetragonal phases of the paramagnetic $CaFe_2As_2$ using self consistent DFT+DMFT with continuous time quantum Monte Carlo as the impurity solver. From the computed optical conductivity, we find a gain in the optical kinetic energy due to the los…
Inelastic neutron scattering measurements of CaFe2As2 under applied hydrostatic pressure show that the antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations observed in the ambient pressure, paramagnetic, tetragonal (T) phase are strongly suppressed, if not absent, in the collapsed tetragonal (cT) phase. These results are consistent with a quenched Fe moment in the cT phase and the strong decrease in resistivity observed upon crossing the boundary from the T to cT phase. The suppression or absence of static antiferromagnetic order and dynamic spin fluctuations in the non-superconducting cT phase supports the no…
We perform, as a function of uniaxial stress, an optical-reflectivity investigation of the representative 'parent' ferropnictide BaFe$_2$As$_2$ in a broad spectral range, across the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition and the onset of the long-range antiferromagnetic order (AFM). The infrared response reveals that the $dc$ transport anisotropy in the orthorhombic AFM state is determined by the interplay between the Drude spectral weight and the scattering rate, but that the dominant effect is clearly associated with the metallic spectral weight. In the paramagnetic tetragonal phase, th…
We have determined the spatial distribution of the magnetisation induced by a field of 9 T in the tetragonal phase of BaFe2As2 using polarised neutron diffraction. Magnetic structure factors derived from the polarisation dependence of the intensities of Bragg reflections were used to make a maximum entropy reconstruction of the distribution projected on the 110 plane. The reconstruction shows clearly that the magnetisation is confined to the region around the iron atoms and that there is no significant magnetisation associated with either the As or Ba atoms. The distribution of magnetisation a…
Understanding the microscopic origins of electronic phases in high-transition temperature (high-Tc) superconductors is important for elucidating the mechanism of superconductivity. In the paramagnetic tetragonal phase of BaFe2-xTxAs2 (where T is Co or Ni) iron pnictides, an in-plane resistivity anisotropy has been observed. Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to show that low-energy spin excitations in these materials change from four-fold symmetric to two-fold symmetric at temperatures corresponding to the onset of the in-plane resistivity anisotropy. Because resistivity and spin excitat…
$^{75}$As and $^{139}$La NMR results of LaFeAs(O$_{1-x}$F$_x$) ($x$=0, 0.025, and 0.04) were reported. Upon F-doping, the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural phase transition temperature $T_S$, antiferromagnetic transition temperature $T_N$ and internal magnetic field $μ_0H_{\rm int}$ are gradually reduced for $x<0.04$. However, at $x=0.04$, $T_N$ is abruptly suppressed to be 30 K along with a tiny $μ_0H_{\rm int}$, which is distinct from the continuous disappearance of the ordered phases in the Ba122 systems of Ba(Fe,Co)$_2$As$_2$ and BaFe$_2$(As,P)$_2$. The anisotropy of the spin-lattice r…
We report the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the temperature-induced phase transitions in Fe1.08Te in the pressure range 0-3 GPa using synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction (XRD). The results reveal a plethora of phase transitions. At ambient pressure, Fe1.08Te undergoes simultaneous first-order structural symmetry-breaking and magnetic phase transitions, namely from the paramagnetic tetragonal (P4/nmm) to the antiferromagnetic monoclinic (P2_1/m) phase. We show that, at a pressure of 1.33 GPa, the low temperature structure adopts an orthorhombic symmetry. More importantly, for pressures of…
Understanding the nature of the electronic nematic phase in iron pnictide superconductors is important for elucidating its impact on high-temperature superconductivity. Here we use transport and inelastic neutron scattering to study spin excitations and in-plane resistivity anisotropy in uniaxial pressure detwinned BaFe$_2$As$_2$ and SrFe$_2$As$_2$, the parent compounds of iron pnictide superconductors. While BaFe$_2$As$_2$ exhibits weakly first order tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural and antiferromagnetic (AF) phase transitions below $T_s > T_N\approx 138$ K, SrFe$_2$As$_2$ has strongly c…
We use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to study the electronic structure of CaFe$_2$As$_2$ in previously unexplored collapsed tetragonal (CT) phase. This unusual phase of the iron arsenic high temperature superconductors was hard to measure as it exists only under pressure. By inducing internal strain, via the post growth, thermal treatment of the single crystals, we were able to stabilize the CT phase at ambient-pressure. We find significant differences in the Fermi surface topology and band dispersion data from the more commo…
The ternary iron arsenide BaFe2As2 with the tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure exhibits a spin density wave (SDW) anomaly at 140 K, very similar to LaFeAsO, the parent compound of the iron arsenide superconductors. BaFe2As2 is a poor Pauli-paramagnetic metal and undergoes a structural and magnetic phase transition at 140 K, accompanied by strong anomalies in the specific heat, electrical resistance and magnetic susceptibility. In the course of this transition, the space group symmetry changes from tetragonal (I4/mmm) to orthorhombic (Fmmm). 57Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy experiments show a singl…
We have performed powder inelastic neutron scattering measurements on the unconventional superconductor $β$-FeSe ($T_{\rm c} \simeq 8\,\mathrm{K}$). The spectra reveal highly dispersive paramagnetic fluctuations emerging from the square-lattice wave vector $(π,0)$ extending beyond 80 meV in energy. Measurements as a function of temperature at an energy of $\sim 13\,\mathrm{meV}$ did not show any variation from $T_{\rm c}$ to $104\,\mathrm{K}$. The results show that FeSe is close to an instability towards $(π,0)$ antiferromagnetism characteristic of the parent phases of the high-$T_{\rm c}$ iro…
The magnetic excitations in the paramagnetic-tetragonal phase of underdoped Ba(Fe0.953Co0.047)2As2, as measured by inelastic neutron scattering, can be well described by a phenomenological model with purely diffusive spin dynamics. At low energies, the spectrum around the magnetic ordering vector Q_AFM consists of a single peak with elliptical shape in momentum space. At high energies, this inelastic peak is split into two peaks across the direction perpendicular to Q_AFM. We use our fittings to argue that such a splitting is not due to incommensurability or propagating spin-wave excitations, …
We use transport and inelastic neutron scattering measurements to investigate single crystals of iron pnictide BaFe$_{2-x}$Ni$_{x}$As$_{2}$ ($x=0,0.03$), which exhibit a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural transition at $T_s$ and stripe antiferromagnetic order at $T_N$ ($T_s\geq T_N$). Using a tunable uniaxial pressure device, we detwin the crystals and study their transport and spin excitation properties at antiferromagnetic wave vector $S_1(1,0)$ and its 90$^\circ$ rotated wave vector $S_2(0,1)$ under different pressure conditions. We find that uniaxial pressure necessary to detwin and mai…
We report temperature-dependent pair distribution function measurements of Sr$_{1-x}$Na$_{x}$Fe$_2$As$_2$, an iron-based superconductor system that contains a magnetic phase with reentrant tetragonal symmetry, known as the magnetic $C_4$ phase. Quantitative refinements indicate that the instantaneous local structure in the $C_4$ phase is comprised of fluctuating orthorhombic regions with a length scale of $\sim$2 nm, despite the tetragonal symmetry of the average static structure. Additionally, local orthorhombic fluctuations exist on a similar length scale at temperatures well into the parama…
The structurally simplest high-temperature superconductor FeSe exhibits an intriguing superconducting nematic paramagnetic phase with unusual spin excitation spectra that are different from typical spin waves; thus, determining its effective magnetic exchange interactions is challenging. Here we report neutron scattering measurements of spin fluctuations of FeSe in the tetragonal paramagnetic phase. We show that the equal-time magnetic structure factor, $\mathcal{S}(\textbf{Q})$, can be effectively modeled using the self-consistent Gaussian approximation calculation with highly frustrated near…
We use inelastic neutron scattering to study acoustic phonons and spin excitations in single crystals of NaFeAs, a parent compound of iron pnictide superconductors. NaFeAs exhibits a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural transition at $T_s\approx 58$ K and a collinear antiferromagnetic (AF) order at $T_N\approx 45$ K. While longitudinal and out-of-plane transverse acoustic phonons behave as expected, the in-plane transverse acoustic phonons reveal considerable softening on cooling to $T_s$, and then harden on approaching $T_N$ before saturating below $T_N$. In addition, we find that spin-spin …
In materials without spatial inversion symmetry the spin degeneracy of the conduction electrons can be lifted by an antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling. We discuss the influence of this spin-orbit coupling on the spin susceptibility of such superconductors, with a particular emphasis on the recently discovered heavy Fermion superconductor CePt3Si. We find that, for this compound (with tetragonal crystal symmetry,) irrespective of the pairing symmetry, the stable superconducting phases would give a very weak change of the spin susceptibility for fields along the c-axis and an intermediate reducti…
Magnetic correlations in the paramagnetic phase of CaFe2As2 (T_N=172 K) have been examined by means of inelastic neutron scattering from 180 K (~ 1.05 T_N) up to 300 K (~1.8 T_N). Despite the first-order nature of the magnetic ordering, strong but short-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) correlations are clearly observed. These correlations, which consist of quasi-elastic scattering centered at the wavevector Q_{AFM} of the low-temperature AFM structure, are observed up to the highest measured temperature of 300 K and at high energy transfer (E> 60 meV). The L dependence of the scattering implies r…
Motivated by the discovery of superconductivity in F-doped LaFeAsO, we investigated the magnetic fluctuations in a related compound Fe(Se1-xTex)0.92 (x = 0.75, 1) using neutron scattering techniques. Non-superconducting FeTe0.92 shows antiferromagnetic (AF) ordering with the ordering vector |Q| = 0.97 A-1 (Q = (0.5,0,0.5)) at TN ~ 70 K and a structural transition between tetragonal and monoclinic phases. In the AF monoclinic phase, the low-energy spectral weight is suppressed, indicating a possible gap formation. On the other hand, in the paramagnetic tetragonal phase, we observed a pronounced…
We focus on a broad class of tetragonal itinerant systems sharing a tendency towards the spontaneous formation of incommensurate magnetism with ordering wavevectors $\mathbf{Q}_{1,2}=(π-δ,0)/(0,π-δ)$ or $\mathbf{Q}_{1,2}=(π,δ)/(-δ,π)$. Employing a Landau approach, we obtain the generic magnetic phase diagram and identify the leading instabilities near the paramagnetic-magnetic transition. Nine distinct magnetic phases exist that either preserve or violate the assumed $C_4$-symmetry of the paramagnetic phase. These are single- and double-$\mathbf{Q}$ phases consisting of magnetic stripes, helic…
Using angle resolved photoemission it is shown that the low lying electronic states of the iron pnictide parent compound EuFe$_2$As$_2$ are strongly modified in the magnetically ordered, low temperature, orthorhombic state compared to the tetragonal, paramagnetic case above the spin density wave transition temperature. Back-folded bands, reflected in the orthorhombic/ anti-ferromagnetic Brillouin zone boundary hybridize strongly with the non-folded states, leading to the opening of energy gaps. As a direct consequence, the large Fermi surfaces of the tetragonal phase fragment, the low temperat…
We present a combined high-resolution x-ray diffraction and x-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS) study of as-grown BaFe2As2. The structural/magnetic transitions must be described as a two-step process. At T_S = 134.5 K we observe the onset of a second-order structural transition from the high-temperature paramagnetic tetragonal structure to a paramagnetic orthorhombic phase, followed by a discontinuous step in the structural order parameter that is coincident with a first-order antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at T_N = 133.75 K. These data, together with detailed high-resolution x-ray s…
We investigated the in-plane resistivity anisotropy for underdoped Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ single crystals with improved quality. We demonstrate that the anisotropy in resistivity in the magnetostructural ordered phase arises from the anisotropy in the residual component which increases in proportion to the Co concentration $x$. This gives evidence that the anisotropy originates from the impurity scattering by Co atoms substituted for the Fe sites, rather than so far proposed mechanism such as the anisotropy of Fermi velocities of reconstructed Fermi surface pockets. As doping proceeds …
We have used polarized and unpolarized neutron diffraction to determine the spatial distribution of the magnetization density induced by a magnetic field of 9 T in the tetragonal phase of K0.8Fe1.6Se2. The maximum entropy reconstruction shows clearly that most of the magnetization is confined to the region around the iron atoms whereas there is no significant magnetization associated with either Se or K atoms. The distribution of magnetization around the Fe atom is slightly nonspherical with a shape which is extended along the [0 0 1] direction in the projection. Multipolar refinement results …
Recent experiments in optimally hole-doped iron arsenides have revealed a novel magnetically ordered ground state that preserves tetragonal symmetry, consistent with either a charge-spin density wave (CSDW), which displays a non-uniform magnetization, or a spin-vortex crystal (SVC), which displays a non-collinear magnetization. Here we show that, similarly to the partial melting of the usual stripe antiferromagnet into a nematic phase, either of these phases can also melt in two stages. As a result, intermediate paramagnetic phases with vestigial order appears: a checkerboard charge density-wa…
Resistance measurements on single crystals of CaK(Fe$_{1-x}$Mn$_x$)$_4$As$_4$ ($x$ = 0.024) were performed under hydrostatic pressure up to 5.15 GPa. The pressure dependence of the magnetic and superconducting transition temperatures and that of the superconducting upper critical field are reported. Our results show that upon increasing pressure, the magnetic transition temperature $T_{N}$ is suppressed, whereas the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$ first increases and then decreases, exhibiting a maximum at a pressure $p_c$ corresponding to the intersection of the $T_{N}$($p$) an…
It is well established that the occurrence of superconductivity in iron pnictides is closely related to the tetragonal to orthorhombic structural and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase transitions. It, however, has not been clear whether the same scenario is appropriate for iron chalcogenide counterparts due to the absence of parent compounds for the latter family of superconductors. Here, we report the synthesis and structure determination of two novel phases in ethylenediamine intercalated FeSe, one is tetragonal and the other orthorhombic in room temperature, which can be stabilized with neutral…
We use inelastic neutron scattering to study spin excitation anisotropy in mechanically detwinned Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 with x = 0.048 and 0.054. Both samples exhibit a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural transition at Ts, a collinear static antiferromagnetic (AF) order at wave vector Q1 = QAF = (1, 0) below the Neel temperature TN, and superconductivity below Tc (Ts > TN > Tc). In the high temperature paramagnetic tetragonal phase (T > Ts), spin excitations centered at Q1 and Q2 = (0, 1) are gapless and have four-fold (C4) rotational symmetry. On cooling to below TN but above Tc, spin excitation…
We use inelastic neutron scattering to study the temperature and energy dependence of the spin excitation anisotropy in uniaxial-strained electron-doped iron pnictide BaFe$_{1.9}$Ni$_{0.1}$As$_2$ near optimal superconductivity ($T_c=20$ K). Our work has been motivated by the observation of in-plane resistivity anisotropy in the paramagnetic tetragonal phase of electron-underdoped iron pnictides under uniaxial pressure, which has been attributed to a spin-driven Ising-nematic state or orbital ordering. Here we show that the spin excitation anisotropy, a signature of the spin-driven Ising-nemati…
By means of infrared spectroscopy we determine the temperature-doping phase diagram of the Fano effect for the in-plane Fe-As stretching mode in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$. The Fano parameter $1/q^2$, which is a measure of the phonon coupling to the electronic particle-hole continuum, shows a remarkable sensitivity to the magnetic/structural orderings at low temperatures. More strikingly, at elevated temperatures in the paramagnetic/tetragonal state we find a linear correlation between $1/q^2$ and the superconducting critical temperature $T_c$. Based on theoretical calculations and symm…
The in-plane anisotropy of resistivity has been investigated for Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$TM$_{x}$)$_2$As$_2$ (TM-Ba122, TM$=$Cr, Mn, and Co) where the substitution sites are the same but the doped carriers are different for different TM elements. The Hall coefficient measurements indicated that hole carriers are effectively doped by Cr substitution but not by Mn substitution. It has been found that the resistivity difference $Δρ=ρ_{\rm b}-ρ_{\rm a}$ in the antiferromagnetic-orthorhombic (AFO) phase of Cr-Ba122 is initially positive but it turns to negative with increasing Cr content, whereas the positive…
Based on first-principles FLAPW-GGA calculation, we have investigated electronic structure of newly discovered oxygen-free 38K superconductor Ba1-xKxFe2As2 in comparison with parent phase - tetragonal ternary iron arsenide BaFe2As2. The density of states, magnetic properties, near-Fermi bands compositions, together with Sommerfeld coefficients and molar Pauli paramagnetic susceptibility are evaluated. The results allow us to classify these systems as quasi-two-dimensional ionic metals, where the conduction is strongly anisotropic, only happening on the (Fe-As) layers. According to our calculat…
We use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution x-ray and neutron scattering to study structural and magnetic phase transitions in phosphorus-doped BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$. Previous transport, NMR, specific heat, and magnetic penetration depth measurements have provided compelling evidence for the presence of a quantum critical point (QCP) near optimal superconductivity at $x=0.3$. However, we show that the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural ($T_s$) and paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic (AF, $T_N$) transitions in BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ are always coupled and approach t…
We report mainly the heat capacity and Mossbauer study of self flux grown FeTe single crystal, which is ground state compound of the Fe chalcogenides superconducting series, i.e., FeTe1-x(Se/S)x. The as grown FeTe single crystal is large enough to the tune of few cm and the same crystallizes in tetragonal structure having space group of P4/nmm. FeTe shows the structural/magnetic phase transition at 70K in both magnetic and resistivity measurements. Heat capacity measurement also confirms the coupled structural/magnetic transition at the same temperature. The Debye model fitting of low temperat…
We report the temperature-dependent optical conductivity and ARPES studies of the iron-based superconductor (SC) Sr$_{0.67}$Na$_{0.33}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ in the high-temperature tetragonal paramagnetic phase; below the structural and magnetic transitions at $T_{\rm N}\simeq$125 K in the orthorhombic spin-density-wave (SDW)-like phase, and $T_r\simeq$42 K in the reentrant tetragonal double-Q magnetic phase where both charge and SDW order exist; and below the SC transition at $T_c\simeq$10 K. The free-carrier component in the optical conductivity is described by two Drude contributions; one strong and…
We report the superconductivity of a new quaternary compound ThMo$_2$Si$_2$C, synthesized with the arc-melting technique. The compound crystallizes in a tetragonal CeCr$_2$Si$_2$C-type structure with cell parameters of $a$ = 4.2296 Åand $c$ = 5.3571 Å. An interlayer Si-Si covalent bonding is suggested by the atomic distance. The electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate a Pauli-paramagnetic metal with dominant electron-electron scattering in the normal-state. Bulk superconductivity at 2.2 K is demonstrated with a dimensionless specific-heat jump of $ΔC/γ_{\rm n}T…
We use neutron polarization analysis to study spin excitation anisotropy in the optimal-isovalent-doped superconductor BaFe2(As0.7P0.3)2 (Tc = 30 K). Different from optimally hole and electron-doped BaFe2As2, where there is a clear spin excitation anisotropy in the paramagnetic tetragonal state well above Tc, we find no spin excitation anisotropy for energies above 2 meV in the normal state of BaFe2(As0.7P0.3)2. Upon entering the superconducting state, significant spin excitation anisotropy develops at the antiferromagnetic (AF) zone center QAF = (1, 0, L = odd), while magnetic spectrum is iso…
On the basis of the microscopic quasi-classical Eilenberger theory, we analyze the recent angle-resolved specific heat experiment carried out at low temperature for Sr$_2$RuO$_{4}$ to identify the superconducting gap symmetry, comprising either horizontal or vertical line nodes relative to the tetragonal crystal symmetry. Several characteristics, in particular, the landscape of the in-plane oscillation amplitude $A_4(B, T)$ with a definite sign for almost the entire $B$-$T$ plane are best explained by the horizontal line node symmetry, especially when the multiband effect and Pauli paramagneti…
The spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is a key to understand the magnetically driven superconductivity in iron-based superconductors, where both local and itinerant electrons are present and the orbital angular momentum is not completely quenched. Here, we report a neutron scattering study on the bilayer compound CaK(Fe$_{0.96}$Ni$_{0.04}$)$_4$As$_4$ with superconductivity coexisting with a non-collinear spin-vortex crystal magnetic order that preserves the tetragonal symmetry of Fe-Fe plane. In the superconducting state, two spin resonance modes with odd and even $L$ symmetries due to the bilayer cou…
We report on the magnetic behavior of oxygen deficient LaFeAsO1-x (x-0.10) compound, prepared by one-step synthesis, which crystallizes in the tetragonal (S.G. P4/nmm) structure at room temperature. Resistivity measurements show a strong anomaly near 150 K, which is ascribed to the spin density wave (SDW) instability. On the other hand, dc magnetization data shows paramagnetic-like features down to 5 K, with an effective moment of 0.83 mB/Fe. 57Fe Mossbauer studies (MS) have been performed at 95 and 200 K. The spectra at both temperatures are composed of two sub-spectra. At 200 K the major one…
We use neutron scattering to study the effect of uniaxial pressure on the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural ($T_s$) and paramagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic ($T_N$) phase transitions in NaFeAs and compare the outcome with similar measurements on as-grown and annealed BaFe$_2$As$_2$. In previous work on as-grown BaFe$_2$As$_2$, uniaxial pressure necessary to detwin the sample was found to induce a significant increase in zero pressure $T_N$ and $T_s$. However, we find that similar uniaxial pressure used to detwin NaFeAs and annealed BaFe$_2$As$_2$ has a very small effect on their $T_N$ and $T_…
We present neutron diffraction analysis of BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ over a wide temperature (10 to 300 K) and compositional ($0.11 \leq x \leq 0.79$) range, including the normal state, the magnetically ordered state, and the superconducting state. The paramagnetic to spin-density wave and orthorhombic to tetragonal transitions are first order and coincident within the sensitivity of our measurements ($\sim 0.5$ K). Extrapolation of the orthorhombic order parameter down to zero suggests that structural quantum criticality cannot exist at compositions higher than $x = 0.28$, which is much l…
FeSe, despite being the structurally simplest compound in the family of iron-based superconductors, shows an astoundingly rich interplay of physical phenomena including nematicity and pressure-induced magnetism. Here, we present a microscopic study of these two phenomena by high-energy x-ray diffraction and time-domain Mössbauer spectroscopy on FeSe single crystals over a wide temperature and pressure range. The topology of the pressure-temperature phase diagram is a surprisingly close parallel to the well-known doping-temperature phase diagram of BaFe2As2 generated through partial Fe/Co and B…
We extend the Ginzburg-Landau-Abrikosov-Gor'kov (GLAG) theory to account for the variation of the upper critical field Hc2 with Sn content in A15-type Nb3Sn. Hc2 at the vicinity of the critical temperature Tc is related quantitatively to the electrical resistivity, specific heat capacity coefficient and Tc, with inclusion of the electron-phonon coupling correction, Pauli paramagnetic limiting and martensitic phase transformation of A15 lattices. Hc2 near Tc is then extrapolated to Hc2(0) at temperature 0K, and Hc2(0) versus tin content agrees well with experiments. We find that, as Sn content …
We report the in-plane anisotropy of the Seebeck and Nernst coefficients as well as of the electrical resistivity determined for the series of the strain-detwinned single crystals of Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2. Two underdoped samples (x = 0.024, 0.045) exhibiting the transition from the tetragonal paramagnetic phase to the orthorhombic spin density wave (SDW) phase (at Ttr = 100 and 60 K, respectively) show an onset of the Nernst anisotropy at temperatures above 200 K, which is significantly higher than Ttr. In the optimally doped sample (x = 0.06) the transport properties also appear to be in-plane ani…
We use neutron resonance spin echo and Larmor diffraction to study the effect of uniaxial pressure on the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural ($T_s$) and antiferromagnetic (AF) phase transitions in iron pnictides BaFe$_{2-x}$Ni$_{x}$As$_{2}$ ($x=0,0.03,0.12$), SrFe$_{1.97}$Ni$_{0.03}$As$_2$, and BaFe$_2$(As$_{0.7}$P$_{0.3}$)$_2$. In antiferromagnetically ordered BaFe$_{2-x}$Ni$_{x}$As$_{2}$ and SrFe$_{1.97}$Ni$_{0.03}$As$_2$ with $T_N$ and $T_s$ ($T_N\leq T_s$), a uniaxial pressure necessary to detwin the sample also increases $T_N$, smears out the structural transition, and induces an ortho…
Iron-based superconductors can be categorized as two types of parent compounds by considering the nature of their temperature-induced phase transitions; namely, first order transitions for 122- and 11-type compounds and second-order transitions for 1111-type compounds. This work examines the structural and magnetic transitions (ST and MT) of CaFeAsH by specific heat, X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and electrical resistivity measurements. Heat capacity measurements revealed a second-order phase transition accompanies an apparent single peak at 96 K. However, a clear ST from the tetrago…
The magnetic and superconducting properties of a series of underdoped $Ba_{1-x}Na_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2}$ (BNFA) single crystals with $0.19 \leq x\leq 0.34$ has been investigated with the complementary muon-spin-rotation ($μ$SR) and infrared spectroscopy techniques. The focus has been on the different antiferromagnetic states in the underdoped regime and their competition with superconductivity, especially for the ones with a tetragonal crystal structure and a so-called double-$Q$ magnetic order. Besides the collinear state with a spatially inhomogeneous spin-charge-density wave (i-SCDW) order at $x=…
Crossing point phenomena are one of the interesting and still puzzling effects in strongly correlated electron systems. We have synthesized RuSr2Gd1.4Ce0.6Cu2O10-δ (GdRu-1222) magneto-superconductor through standard solid state reaction route and measured its magnetic, transport and thermal properties. We also synthesized RuSr2Eu1.4Ce0.6Cu2O10-δ (EuRu-1222) then measured its heat capacity in zero magnetic fields for reference. The studied compounds crystallized in tetragonal structure with space group I4/mmm. GdRu-1222 is a reported magneto-superconductor with Ru spins magnetic ordering at tem…
We report on electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance (MR) and Hall effect measurements in four non-superconducting BaFe$_{2-x}$TM$_x$As$_2$ (TM = Mn, Cu and Ni) single crystals with small values of the chemical substitution $x$. The spin density wave (SDW) ordering that occurs in these systems at temperatures $T\sim$ (120 - 140) K, in close vicinity to a tetragonal/orthorhombic transition, produces significant modifications in their magneto-transport properties. While in the magnetically ordered phase the MR is positive and its magnitude increases with decreasing temperatures, in the paramag…
