Cooper-pair density modulation state in an iron-based superconductor

Kong, Lingyuan; Papaj, Michał; Kim, Hyunjin; Zhang, Yiran; Baum, Eli; Li, Hui; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Gu, Genda; Lee, Patrick A.; Nadj-Perge, Stevan

doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08703-x

Cooper-pair density modulation state in an iron-based superconductor

Journal Article · Wed Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Nature (London)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08703-x· OSTI ID:2563037

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[4]; Gu, Genda ^[5]; Lee, Patrick A. ^[6]; ^[1]

California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
University of Houston, TX (United States); University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States)
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba (Japan)
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

Superconducting (SC) states that break space-group symmetries of the underlying crystal can exhibit nontrivial spatial modulation of the order parameter. Previously, such states were intimately associated with the breaking of translational symmetry, resulting in the density-wave orders, with wavelengths spanning several unit cells. However, a related basic concept has long been overlooked: when only intra-unit-cell symmetries of the space group are broken, the SC states can show a distinct type of nontrivial modulation preserving long-range lattice translation. Here, in this study, we refer to this new concept as the pair density modulation (PDM) and report the first observation of a PDM state in exfoliated thin flakes of the iron-based superconductor FeTe_0.55Se_0.45. Using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), we discover robust SC gap modulation with the wavelength corresponding to the lattice periodicity and the amplitude exceeding 30% of the gap average. Notably, we find that the observed modulation originates from the large difference in SC gaps on the two nominally equivalent iron sublattices. The experimental findings, backed up by model calculations, suggest that, in contrast to the density-wave orders, the PDM state is driven by the interplay of sublattice symmetry breaking and a peculiar nematic distortion specific to the thin flakes. Our results establish new frontiers for exploring the intertwined orders in strong-correlated electronic systems and open a new chapter for iron-based superconductors.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-03ER46076; SC0012704

OSTI ID:: 2563037

Report Number(s):: BNL--228072-2025-JAAM

Journal Information:: Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 8057 Vol. 640; ISSN 0028-0836

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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