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Effect of Uniaxial Strain on the Structural and Magnetic Phase Transitions in BaFe2As2

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [6];  [1]
  1. Boston College, Chestnut Hill
  2. Canadian Neutron Beam Centre, National Research Council, Chalk River Laboratorie
  3. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)
  4. Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University
  5. ORNL
  6. University of California, Berkeley
We report neutron scattering experiments probing the influence of uniaxial strain on both the magnetic and structural order parameters in the parent iron pnictide compound, BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2}. Our data show that modest strain fields along the in-plane orthorhombic b axis can affect significant changes in phase behavior simultaneous to the removal of structural twinning effects. As a result, we demonstrate in BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} samples detwinned via uniaxial strain that the in-plane C{sub 4} symmetry is broken by both the structural lattice distortion and long-range spin ordering at temperatures far above the nominal (strain-free) phase transition temperatures. Surprising changes in the magnetic order parameter of this system under relatively small strain fields also suggest the inherent presence of magnetic domains fluctuating above the strain-free ordering temperature in this material.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); High Flux Isotope Reactor
Sponsoring Organization:
SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1037684
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 108; ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English