Strong Interplay between Stripe Spin Fluctuations, Nematicity and Superconductivity in FeSe
Qisi Wang, Yao Shen, Bingying Pan, Yiqing Hao, Mingwei Ma, Fang Zhou, P. Steffens, K. Schmalzl, T. R. Forrest, M. Abdel-Hafiez, D. A. Chareev, A. N. Vasiliev, P… 展开作者
Qisi Wang, Yao Shen, Bingying Pan, Yiqing Hao, Mingwei Ma, Fang Zhou, P. Steffens, K. Schmalzl, T. R. Forrest, M. Abdel-Hafiez, D. A. Chareev, A. N. Vasiliev, P. Bourges, Y. Sidis, Huibo Cao, Jun Zhao
Elucidating the microscopic origin of nematic order in iron-based superconducting materials is important because the interactions that drive nematic order may also mediate the Cooper pairing. Nematic order breaks fourfold rotational symmetry in the iron plane, which is believed to be driven by either orbital or spin degrees of freedom. However, as the nematic phase often develops at a temperature just above or coincides with a stripe magnetic phase transition, experimentally determining the dominant driving force of nematic order is difficult. Here, we use neutron scattering to study structurally the simplest iron-based superconductor FeSe, which displays a nematic (orthorhombic) phase transition at $T_s=90$ K, but does not order antiferromagnetically. Our data reveal substantial stripe spin fluctuations, which are coupled with orthorhombicity and are enhanced abruptly on cooling to below $T_s$. Moreover, a sharp spin resonance develops in the superconducting state, whose energy (~4 meV) is consistent with an electron boson coupling mode revealed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, thereby suggesting a spin fluctuation-mediated sign-changing pairing symmetry. By normalizing the dynamic susceptibility into absolute units, we show that the magnetic spectral weight in FeSe is comparable to that of the iron arsenides. Our findings support recent theoretical proposals that both nematicity and superconductivity are driven by spin fluctuations.
We report high-pressure $^{77}$Se NMR studies on FeSe single crystals that reveal a prominent inhomogeneous NMR linewidth broadening upon cooling, with the magnetic field applied along the tetragonal [110] direction. The data indicate the existence of short-range-ordered, inhomogeneous electronic nematicity, which has surprisingly long time scales over milliseconds. The short-range order survives temperatures up to $8$ times the structural transition temperature, and remains robust against pressure, in contrast to the strong pressure-dependence of the orbital ordering, structural transition, a…
The origin of spontaneous electronic nematic ordering provides important information for understanding iron-based superconductors. Here, we analyze a scenario where the $d_{xy}$ orbital strongly contributes to nematic ordering in FeSe. We show that the addition of $d_{xy}$ nematicity to a pure $d_{xz}/d_{yz}$ order provides a natural explanation for the unusual Fermi surface and correctly reproduces the strongly anisotropic momentum dependence of the superconducting gap. We predict a Lifshitz transition of an electron pocket mediated by temperature and sulphur doping, whose signatures we discu…
The nematic order (nematicity) is considered one of the essential ingredients to understand the mechanism of Fe-based superconductivity. In most Fe-based superconductors (pnictides), nematic order is reasonably close to the antiferromagnetic order. In FeSe, in contrast, a nematic order emerges below the structure phase transition at T_s = 90 K with no magnetic order. The case of FeSe is of paramount importance to a universal picture of Fe-based superconductors. The polarized ultrafast spectroscopy provides a tool to probe simultaneously the electronic structure and the magnetic interactions th…
We use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and quasiparticle interference (QPI) imaging to investigate the low-energy orbital texture of single-layer FeSe/SrTiO$_3$. We develop a $T$-matrix model of multi-orbital QPI to disentangle scattering intensities from Fe $3d_{xz}$ and $3d_{yz}$ bands, enabling the use of STM as a nanoscale detection tool of nematicity. By sampling multiple spatial regions of a single-layer FeSe/SrTiO$_3$ film, we quantitatively exclude static $xz/yz$ orbital ordering with domain size larger than $δr^2$ = 20 nm $\times$ 20 nm, $xz/yz$ Fermi wave vector difference larger…
The mechanism behind the nematicity of FeSe is not known. Through elastoresitivity measurements it has been shown to be an electronic instability. However, so far measurements have extended only to small strains, where the response is linear. Here, we apply large elastic strains to FeSe, and perform two types of measurements. (1) Using applied strain to control twinning, the nematic resistive anisotropy at temperatures below the nematic transition temperature Ts is determined. (2) Resistive anisotropy is measured as nematicity is induced through applied strain at fixed temperature above Ts. In…
We present $^{77}$Se-NMR measurements on single-crystalline FeSe under pressures up to 2 GPa. Based on the observation of the splitting and broadening of the NMR spectrum due to structural twin domains, we discovered that static, local nematic ordering exists well above the bulk nematic ordering temperature, $T_{\rm s}$. The static, local nematic order and the low-energy stripe-type antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, as revealed by NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements, are both insensitive to pressure application. These NMR results provide clear evidence for the microscopic cooperat…
FeSe undergoes a transition from a tetragonal to a slightly orthorhombic phase at 90\,K, and becomes a superconductor below 8\,K. The orthorhombic phase is sometimes called a nematic phase because quantum oscillation, neutron, and other measurements detect a significant asymmetry in $x$ and $y$. How nematicity affects superconductivity has recently become a matter of intense speculation. Here we employ an advanced \emph{ab-initio} Green's function description of superconductivity and show that bulk tetragonal FeSe would, in principle, superconduct with almost the same T$_{c}$ as the nematic ph…
We analyze theoretically the magnetic anisotropy in the nematic phase of FeSe by computing the spin and the orbital susceptibilities from the microscopic multiorbital model. In particular, we take into account both the $xz/yz$ and the recently proposed non-local $xy$ nematic ordering and show that the latter one could play a crucial role in reproducing the experimentally-measured temperature dependence of the magnetic anisotropy. This provides a direct fingerprint of the different nematic scenarios on the magnetic properties of FeSe.
The spontaneous appearance of nematicity, a state of matter that breaks rotation but not translation symmetry, is one of the most intriguing property of the iron based superconductors (Fe SC), and has relevance for the cuprates as well. Establishing the critical electronic modes behind nematicity remains however a challenge, because their associated susceptibilities are not easily accessible by conventional probes. Here using FeSe as a model system, and symmetry resolved electronic Raman scattering as a probe, we unravel the presence of critical charge nematic fluctuations near the structural …
We have performed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on FeSe superconductor (Tc ~ 8 K), which exhibits a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural transition at Ts ~ 90 K. At low temperature we found splitting of the energy bands as large as 50 meV at the M point in the Brillouin zone, likely caused by the formation of electronically driven nematic states. This band splitting persists up to T ~ 110 K, slightly above Ts, suggesting that the structural transition is triggered by the electronic nematicity. We have also revealed that at low temperature the band splitting gives r…
The NMR spectrum of FeSe shows a dramatic broadening on cooling towards the bulk nematic phase at $T_s=90$ K, due to the formation of a quasi-static, short-range-ordered nematic domain structure. However, a quantitative understanding of the NMR broadening and its relationship to the nematic susceptibility is still lacking. Here, we show that the temperature and pressure dependence of the broadening is in quantitative agreement with the mean-field Edwards-Anderson parameter of an Ising-nematic model in the presence of random-field disorder introduced by non-magnetic impurities. Furthermore, the…
Electronic nematicity is an important order in most iron-based superconductors, and FeSe represents a unique example, in which nematicity disentangles from spin ordering. It is commonly perceived that this property arises from strong electronic correlation, which can not be properly captured by density functional theory (DFT). Here, we show that by properly considering the paramagnetic condition and carefully searching the energy landscape with symmetry-preconditioned wavefunctions, two nematic solutions stand out at either the DFT+$U$ or hybrid functional level, both of which are lower in ene…
The angular-dependent magnetoresistance (AMR) of the ab plane is measured on the single crystals of FeSe1-xSx (x = 0, 0.07, 0.13 and 1) and FeSe1-yTey (y = 0.06, 0.61 and 1) at various temperatures under fields up to 9 T. A pronounced twofold-anisotropic carrier-scattering effect is identified by AMR, and attributed to a magnetic-field-induced spin nematicity that emerges from the tetragonal normal-state regime below a characteristic temperature Tsn. This magnetically polarized spin nematicity is found to be ubiquitous in the isoelectronic FeSe1-xSx and FeSe1-yTey systems, no matter whether th…
Nematicity and magnetism are two key features in Fe-based superconductors, and their interplay is one of the most important unsolved problems. In FeSe, the magnetic order is absent below the structural transition temperature $T_{str}=90$K, in stark contrast that the magnetism emerges slightly below $T_{str}$ in other families. To understand such amazing material dependence, we investigate the spin-fluctuation-mediated orbital order ($n_{xz}\neq n_{yz}$) by focusing on the orbital-spin interplay driven by the strong-coupling effect, called the vertex correction. This orbital-spin interplay is v…
One of central issues in iron-based superconductors is the role of structural change to the superconducting transition temperature (T_c). It was found in FeSe that the lattice strain leads to a drastic increase in T_c, accompanied by suppression of nematic order. By angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on tensile- or compressive-strained and strain-free FeSe, we experimentally show that the in-plane strain causes a marked change in the energy overlap (DeltaE_{h-e}) between the hole and electron pockets in the normal state. The change in DeltaE_{h-e} modifies the Fermi-surface volume, lead…
Magnetism induced by external pressure ($p$) was studied in a FeSe crystal sample by means of muon-spin rotation. The magnetic transition changes from second-order to first-order for pressures exceeding the critical value $p_{\rm c}\simeq2.4-2.5$ GPa. The magnetic ordering temperature ($T_{\rm N}$) and the value of the magnetic moment per Fe site ($m_{\rm Fe}$) increase continuously with increasing pressure, reaching $T_{\rm N}\simeq50$~K and $m_{\rm Fe}\simeq0.25$ $μ_{\rm B}$ at $p\simeq2.6$ GPa, respectively. No pronounced features at both $T_{\rm N}(p)$ and $m_{\rm Fe}(p)$ are detected at $…
A very fundamental and unconventional characteristic of superconductivity in iron-based materials is that it occurs in the vicinity of {\it two} other instabilities. Apart from a tendency towards magnetic order, these Fe-based systems have a propensity for nematic ordering: a lowering of the rotational symmetry while time-reversal invariance is preserved. Setting the stage for superconductivity, it is heavily debated whether the nematic symmetry breaking is driven by lattice, orbital or spin degrees of freedom. Here we report a very clear splitting of NMR resonance lines in FeSe at $T_{nem}$ =…
To understand the rich electronic phase diagram in FeSe under pressure that vividly demonstrates the strong interplay between the nematicity, magnetism and superconductivity, we analyze the electronic states by including the higher-order many-body effects called the vertex correction (VC). We predict the pressure-induced emergence of xy-orbital hole-pocket based on the first-principles analysis. Due to this pressure-induced Lifshitz transition, the spin fluctuations on the xy orbital are enhanced, whereas those on xz,yz orbitals are gradually reduced. For this reason, nonmagnetic orbital order…
In a material prone to a nematic instability, anisotropic strain in principle provides a preferred symmetry-breaking direction for the electronic nematic state to follow. This is consistent with experimental observations, where electronic nematicity and structural anisotropy typically appear hand-in-hand. In this work, we discover that electronic nematicity can be locally decoupled from the underlying structural anisotropy in strain-engineered iron-selenide (FeSe) thin films. We use heteroepitaxial molecular beam epitaxy to grow FeSe with a nanoscale network of modulations that give rise to sp…
Interrelationships between nematicity, antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations and superconductivity: Role of hotspots in FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$ revealed by high pressure $^{77}$Se NMR study
The interplay of orbital and spin degrees of freedom is the fundamental characteristic in numerous condensed matter phenomena, including high temperature superconductivity, quantum spin liquids, and topological semimetals. In iron-based superconductors (FeSCs), this causes superconductivity to emerge in the vicinity of two other instabilities: nematic and magnetic. Unveiling the mutual relationship among nematic order, spin fluctuations, and superconductivity has been a major challenge for research in FeSCs, but it is still controversial. Here, by carrying out 77Se nuclear magnetic resonance (…
Iron-based superconductors are well known for their complex interplay between structure, magnetism and superconductivity. FeSe offers a particularly fascinating example. This material has been intensely discussed because of its extended nematic phase, whose relationship with magnetism is not obvious. Superconductivity in FeSe is highly tunable, with the superconducting transition temperature, $T_\mathrm{c}$, ranging from 8 K in bulk single crystals at ambient pressure to almost 40 K under pressure or in intercalated systems, and to even higher temperatures in thin films. In this topical review…
The sulfur substituted FeSe system, FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$, provides a versatile platform for studying the relationship between nematicity, antiferromagnetism, and superconductivity. Here, by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and resistivity measurements up to 4.73 GPa on FeSe$_{0.91}$S$_{0.09}$, we established the pressure($p$)-temperature($T$) phase diagram in which the nematic state is suppressed with pressure showing a nematic quantum phase transition (QPT) around $p$ = 0.5 GPa, two SC regions, separated by the QPT, appear and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase emerges above $\sim$3.3 GPa. From the…
The large anisotropy in the electronic properties across a structural transition in several correlated systems has been identified as the key manifestation of electronic nematic order, breaking rotational symmetry. In this context, FeSe is attracting tremendous interest, since electronic nematicity develops over a wide range of temperatures, allowing accurate experimental investigation. Here we combine angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and theoretical calculations based on a realistic multi-orbital model to unveil the microscopic mechanism responsible for the evolution of the electroni…
In underdoped cuprate superconductors, a rich competition occurs between superconductivity and charge density wave (CDW) order. Whether rotational symmetry breaking (nematicity) occurs intrinsically and generically or as a consequence of other orders is under debate. Here we employ resonant x-ray scattering in stripe-ordered (La,M)_2CuO_4 to probe the relationship between electronic nematicity of the Cu 3d orbitals, structure of the (La,M)_2O_2 layers, and CDW order. We find distinct temperature dependences for the structure of the (La,M)_2O_2 layers and the electronic nematicity of the CuO_2 …
An SDW antiferromagnetic (SDW-AF) low temperature phase transition is generally observe and the AF spin fluctuations are considered to play an important role for the superconductivity paring mechanism in FeAs superconductors. However, a similar magnetic phase transition is not observed in FeSe superconductors, which has caused considerable discussion. We report on the intrinsic electronic states of FeSe as elucidated by transport measurements under magnetic fields using a high quality single crystal. A mobility spectrum analysis, an ab initio method that does not make assumptions on the transp…
We investigate nematic states in both bulk FeSe and FeSe thin films. It is found that their band structures and signature features that were observed in a variety of experiments can be perfectly explained by introducing the $d$-wave nematic orders that are required to have contributions from all $t_{2g}$ d-orbitals, which contradicts the conventional wisdom that the nematicity is simply driven by the orbital degeneracy between the $d_{xz}$ and $d_{yz}$ orbitals. These orders can be generated by the Coulomb interaction between the nearest neighbor Fe sites. In the presence of spin-orbital coupl…
Electronic nematicity in correlated metals often occurs alongside another instability such as magnetism. As a result, the question remains whether nematicity alone can drive unconventional superconductivity or anomalous (quantum critical) transport in such systems. In FeSe, nematicity emerges in isolation, providing a unique opportunity to address this question. Studies to date, however, have proved inconclusive; while signatures of nematic criticality are observed upon sulfur substitution, they appear to be quenched under the application of pressure due to the emergent magnetism. Here, we stu…
Formation of electronic nematicity is a common thread of unconventional superconductors. In iron-based materials, the long-range nematic order is revealed by the orthorhombic lattice distortion, which importance is a highly controversial topic due the small magnitude of the distortion. Here, we study the local crystal structure of FeSe and its interaction with electronic degrees of freedom using ultrafast electron diffraction, x-ray pair distribution function analysis, and transmission electron microscopy and find a significant lattice response to local nematicity. The study demonstrates how l…
The electronic structure of the enigmatic iron-based superconductor FeSe has puzzled researchers since spectroscopic probes failed to observe the expected electron pocket at the $Y$ point in the 1-Fe Brillouin zone. It has been speculated that this pocket, essential for an understanding of the superconducting state, is either absent or incoherent. Here, we perform a theoretical study of the preferred nematic order originating from nearest-neighbor Coulomb interactions in an electronic model relevant for FeSe. We find that at low temperatures the dominating nematic components are of inter-orbit…
The electronic structure of FeSe thin films grown on SrTiO3 substrate is studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We reveal the existence of Dirac cone band dispersions in FeSe thin films thicker than 1 Unit Cell below the nematic transition temperature, whose apex are located -10 meV below Fermi energy. The evolution of Dirac cone electronic structure for FeSe thin films as function of temperature, thickness and cobalt doping is systematically studied. The Dirac cones are found to be coexisted with the nematicity in FeSe, disappear when nematicity is suppressed. Our resul…
Superconductivity is significantly enhanced in monolayer FeSe grown on SrTiO3, but not for multilayer films, in which large strength of nematicity develops. However, the link between the high-transition temperature superconductivity in monolayer and the correlation related nematicity in multilayer FeSe films is not well understood. Here, we use low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to study few-layer FeSe thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We observe an incommensurate long-range smectic phase, which solely appears in bilayer FeSe films. The smectic order still locally exists a…
A fundamental issue concerning iron-based superconductivity is the roles of electronic nematicity and magnetism in realising high transition temperature ($T_{\rm c}$). To address this issue, FeSe is a key material, as it exhibits a unique pressure phase diagram involving nonmagnetic nematic and pressure-induced antiferromagnetic ordered phases. However, as these two phases in FeSe overlap with each other, the effects of two orders on superconductivity remain perplexing. Here we construct the three-dimensional electronic phase diagram, temperature ($T$) against pressure ($P$) and isovalent S-su…
The intriguing role of nematicity in iron-based superconductors, defined as broken rotational symmetry below a characteristic temperature, is an intensely investigated contemporary subject. Nematicity is closely connected to the structural transition, however, it is highly doubtful that the lattice degree of freedom is responsible for its formation, given the accumulating evidence for the observed large anisotropy. Here we combine molecular beam epitaxy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy together to study the nematicity in multilayer FeSe films on SrTi…
We report pair distribution function measurements of the iron-based superconductor FeSe above and below the structural transition temperature. Structural analysis reveals a local orthorhombic distortion with a correlation length of about 4 nm at temperatures where an average tetragonal symmetry is observed. The analysis further demonstrates that the local distortion is larger than the distortion at temperatures where the average observed symmetry is orthorhombic. Our results suggest that the low-temperature macroscopic nematic state in FeSe forms from an imperfect ordering of orbital-degenerac…
A hallmark of the iron-based superconductors is the strong coupling between magnetic, structural and electronic degrees of freedom. However, a universal picture of the normal state properties of these compounds has been confounded by recent investigations of FeSe where the nematic (structural) and magnetic transitions appear to be decoupled. Here, using synchrotron-based high-energy x-ray diffraction and time-domain Moessbauer spectroscopy, we show that nematicity and magnetism in FeSe under applied pressure are indeed strongly coupled. Distinct structural and magnetic transitions are observed…
Unconventional symmetry breaking due to nonlocal order parameters has attracted considerable attention in many strongly correlated metals. Famous examples are the nematic order in Fe-based superconductors and the star-of-David charge density order in kagome metals. Such exotic symmetry breaking in metals is a central issue of modern condensed matter physics, while its theoretical foundation is still unclear in comparison with the well-established theory of superconductivity. To overcome this difficulty, here we introduce the "form factor" that generalizes the nonlocal order parameter into the …
The electronic structure of FeSe, the simplest iron based superconductor (Fe-SC), conceals a potential of dramatic increase of Tc that realizes under pressure or in a single layer film. This is also the system where nematicity, the phenomenon of a keen current interest, is most easy to study since it is not accompanied by the antiferomagnetic transition like in all other Fe-SC's. Here we overview recent experimental data on electronic structure of FeSe-based superconductors: isovalently doped crystals, intercalates, and single layer films, trying to clarify its topology and possible relation o…
We systematically studied in-plane optical conductivity of FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_{x}$ thin films fabricated on CaF$_{2}$ substrates for $x$ = 0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4. This system shows a large enhancement of superconducting transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ at $x \sim$ 0.2 and a gentle decrease in $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ with further increasing $x$. The low-energy optical conductivity spectrum is described by the sum of narrow and broad Drude components, associated with coherent and incoherent charge dynamics, respectively. With increasing Te content, the spectral weight of the narrow Drude component de…
Strain is a powerful experimental tool to explore new electronic states and understand unconventional superconductivity. Here, we investigate the effect of uniaxial strain on the nematic and superconducting phase of single crystal FeSe using magnetotransport measurements. We find that the resistivity response to the strain is strongly temperature dependent and it correlates with the sign change in the Hall coefficient being driven by scattering, coupling with the lattice and multiband phenomena. Band structure calculations suggest that under strain the electron pockets develop a large in-plane…
The origin of the electronic nematicity and its remarkable material-dependence are famous longstanding unsolved issues in Fe-based superconductors. To attack these issues, we focus on the in-plane anisotropy of the resistivity: In the nematic state in FeSe, the relation $ρ_x>ρ_y$ holds, where $ρ_{x(y)}$ is the resistivity along the longer (shorter) Fe-Fe axis. In contrast, the opposite anisotropy $ρ_x<ρ_y$ is realized in other undoped Fe-based superconductors. Such nontrivial material dependence is naturally explained in terms of the strongly orbital-dependent inelastic quasiparticle scatterin…
A rich variety of nematic/smectic orders in Fe-based superconductors is an important unsolved problem in strongly correlated electron systems. A unified understanding of these orders has been investigated for the last decade. In this article, we explain the $B_{1g}$ symmetry nematic transition in FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$, the $B_{2g}$ symmetry nematicity in AFe$_2$As$_2$ (A=Cs, Rb), and the smectic state in BaFe$_2$As$_2$ based on the same framework. We investigate the quantum interference mechanism between spin fluctuations by developing the density wave equation. The observed rich variety of nemat…
Nematic state, where the system is translationally invariant but breaks the rotational symmetry, has drawn great attentions recently due to experimental observations of such a state in both cuprates and iron-based superconductors. The mechanism of nematicity that is likely tied to the pairing mechanism of high-Tc, however, still remains controversial. Here, we studied the electronic structure of multilayer FeSe film by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We found that the FeSe film enters the nematic state around 125 K, while the electronic signature of long range magnetic order…
The recent study of $^{77}$Se nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in a $β$-FeSe single crystal proposed that ferro-orbital order breaks the $90^\circ$ $C_4$ rotational symmetry, driving nematic ordering. Here, we report an NMR study of the impact of small strains generated by gluing on nematic state and spin fluctuations. We observe that the local strains strongly affect the nematic transition, considerably enhancing its onset temperature. On the contrary, no effect on low-energy spin fluctuations was found. Furthermore we investigate the interplay of the nematic phase and superconductivity. Our …
We report the results of our in-depth analysis of spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties of a multi-orbital metal, like FeSe, which first develops a nematic order and then undergoes a transition into a superconducting state, which co-exists with nematicity. We analyze the angular dependence of the gap function and specific heat $C_V (T)$ of such nematic superconductor. We specifically address three issues: (i) angular dependence of the gap in light of the competition between nematicity-induced $s$-$d$ mixture and orbital transmutation of low-energy excitations in the nematic state, (ii) th…
We investigate the evolution of the Fermi surfaces and electronic interactions across the nematic phase transition in single crystals of FeSe1-xSx using Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in high magnetic fields up to 45 tesla in the low temperature regime. The unusually small and strongly elongated Fermi surface of FeSe increases monotonically with chemical pressure, x, due to the suppression of the in-plane anisotropy except for the smallest orbit which suffers a Lifshitz-like transition once nematicity disappears. Even outside the nematic phase the Fermi surface continues to increase, in stark …
FeSe has a unique ground state in which superconductivity coexists with a nematic order without long-range magnetic ordering at ambient pressure. Here, to study how the pairing interaction evolves with nematicity, we measured the thermal conductivity and specific heat of FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_x$, where the nematicity is suppressed by isoelectronic sulfur substitution. We find that in the whole nematic ($0\leq x \leq 0.17$) and tetragonal ($x=0.20$) regimes, the application of small magnetic field causes a steep increase of both quantities. This indicates the existence of deep minima or line nodes in …
Solvothermal intercalation of ethylenediamine molecules into FeSe separates the layers by 1078 pm and creates a different stacking. FeSe(en)0.3 is not superconducting although each layer exhibits the stripe-type crystal structure and the Fermi surface topology of superconducting FeSe. FeSe(en)0.3 requires electron-doping for high-Tc similar to monolayers of FeSe@SrTiO3, whose much higher Tc may arise from the proximity of the oxide surface.
Over the past few years Fe chalcogenides (FeSe/Te) have advanced to the forefront of Fe-based superconductors (FeBS) research. The most intriguing results thus far are for intercalated and monolayer FeSe, however experimental studies are still inconclusive. Yet, bulk FeSe itself remains an unusual case when compared with pnictogen-based FeBS, and may hold clues to understanding the more exotic FeSe-derivatives. The FeSe phase diagram is unlike the pnictides: the orthorhombic distortion, which is likely to be of a "spin-nematic" nature in numerous pnictides, is not accompanied by magnetic order…
To elucidate the magnetic structure and the origin of the nematicity in FeSe, we perform a high-pressure $^{77}$Se NMR study on FeSe single crystals. We find a suppression of the structural transition temperature with pressure up to about 2 GPa from the anisotropy of the Knight shift. Above 2 GPa, a stripe-order antiferromagnetism that breaks the spatial four-fold rotational symmetry is determined by the NMR spectra under different field orientations and with temperatures down to 50 mK. The magnetic phase transition is revealed to be first-order type, implying the existence of a concomitant st…
We measured the complex conductivity, $σ$, of FeSe$_{1-x}$Te$_x$ ($x=0-0.5$) films in the superconducting state which show a drastic increase of the superconducting transition temperature, $T_\textrm{c}$, when the nematic order disappears. Since the magnetic penetration depth, $λ$ $(>$ 400 nm), of Fe(Se,Te) is longer than the typical thickness of the film ($\sim$100 nm), we combined the coplanar waveguide resonator and cavity perturbation techniques to evaluate both the real and imaginary parts of $σ$. Films with a nematic order showed a qualitatively different temperature dependence in penetr…
Monolayer FeSe grown on SrTiO$_3$ provides a new playground for high-Tc superconductivity. A recent study shows the importance of stripy instability for superconductivity enhancement in FeSe/SrTiO3. However, it is still under debate whether such a stripe phase is ubiquitously bound to the interfacial superconductivity. Here, we report on molecular beam epitaxy growth and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy study of FeSe films on BaTiO$_3$(001). We find that the stripe phase is more prominent in FeSe/BaTiO$_3$. Long-range stripes exist in bilayer and triple-layer FeSe films at 4 K and…
Elucidating the nature of the magnetism of a high-temperature superconductor is crucial for establishing its pairing mechanism. The parent compounds of the cuprate and iron-pnictide superconductors exhibit Néel and stripe magnetic order, respectively. However, FeSe, the structurally simplest iron-based superconductor, shows nematic order (Ts = 90 K), but not magnetic order in the parent phase, and its magnetic ground state is intensely debated. Here, we report inelastic neutron-scattering experiments that reveal both stripe and Néel spin fluctuations over a wide energy range at 110 K. On enter…
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews（圣安德鲁斯大学物理与天文学院）；Institute of Physics, University of Greifswald（格赖夫斯瓦尔德大学物理研究所）；Diamond Light Source（钻石光源）
