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Title: Optical anisotropy in optimally doped iron-based superconductor

Abstract

The divergent nematic susceptibility, obeying a simple Curie-Weiss power law over a large temperature interval, is empirically found to be a ubiquitous signature in several iron-based materials across their doping-temperature phase diagram. The composition at which the associated Weiss temperature extrapolates to zero is found to be close to optimal doping, boosting the debate to what extent nematic fluctuations contribute to the pairing-mechanism and generally affect the electronic structure of iron-based superconductors. Here, we offer a comprehensive optical investigation of the optimally hole-doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 over a broad spectral range, as a function of temperature and of tunable applied stress, which acts as an external symmetry breaking field. We show that the stress-induced optical anisotropy in the infrared spectral range is reversible upon sweeping the applied stress and occurs only below the superconducting transition temperature. These findings demonstrate that there is a large electronic nematicity at optimal doping which extends right under the superconducting dome.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [1]
  1. ETH - Zurich, Zurich (Switzerland)
  2. Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1526993
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF0051
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
npj Quantum Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 4; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2397-4648
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats

Pal, Anirban, Chinotti, Manuel, Chu, Jiun -Haw, Kuo, Hseuh -Hui, Fisher, Ian Randal, and Degiorgi, Leonardo. Optical anisotropy in optimally doped iron-based superconductor. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1038/s41535-018-0140-1.
Pal, Anirban, Chinotti, Manuel, Chu, Jiun -Haw, Kuo, Hseuh -Hui, Fisher, Ian Randal, & Degiorgi, Leonardo. Optical anisotropy in optimally doped iron-based superconductor. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-018-0140-1
Pal, Anirban, Chinotti, Manuel, Chu, Jiun -Haw, Kuo, Hseuh -Hui, Fisher, Ian Randal, and Degiorgi, Leonardo. Thu . "Optical anisotropy in optimally doped iron-based superconductor". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-018-0140-1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1526993.
@article{osti_1526993,
title = {Optical anisotropy in optimally doped iron-based superconductor},
author = {Pal, Anirban and Chinotti, Manuel and Chu, Jiun -Haw and Kuo, Hseuh -Hui and Fisher, Ian Randal and Degiorgi, Leonardo},
abstractNote = {The divergent nematic susceptibility, obeying a simple Curie-Weiss power law over a large temperature interval, is empirically found to be a ubiquitous signature in several iron-based materials across their doping-temperature phase diagram. The composition at which the associated Weiss temperature extrapolates to zero is found to be close to optimal doping, boosting the debate to what extent nematic fluctuations contribute to the pairing-mechanism and generally affect the electronic structure of iron-based superconductors. Here, we offer a comprehensive optical investigation of the optimally hole-doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 over a broad spectral range, as a function of temperature and of tunable applied stress, which acts as an external symmetry breaking field. We show that the stress-induced optical anisotropy in the infrared spectral range is reversible upon sweeping the applied stress and occurs only below the superconducting transition temperature. These findings demonstrate that there is a large electronic nematicity at optimal doping which extends right under the superconducting dome.},
doi = {10.1038/s41535-018-0140-1},
journal = {npj Quantum Materials},
number = 1,
volume = 4,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Thu Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}

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Cited by: 4 works
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1: Schematic view of the experiment and flavour of the major findings within the generic phase diagram of Ba1−xKxFe2As2: The optimally doped (x = 0.4 and Tc = 38.5 K) sample is illuminated with polarized light while external uniaxial compressive stress (ρ) is applied on the lateral face ofmore » the specimen. We adopt an experimental protocol consisting in the measurement of the optical reflectivity signal (R) during a ρ-loop after a zero-ρ-cooling (ZPC) procedure (see Methods as well as Supplementary Information). We define the b-axis as the direction along which compressive ρ is applied and the a-axis as its orthogonal direction. Light is then polarized parallel to either axis (in the convention of our experimental set-up the polarization 0 is parallel to the b-axis and 90 to the a-axis). Below Tc (inset a) we clearly observe an anisotropy in the detected R-signal between the two axes when ρ is progressively applied, so that the ratio Ra/Rb deviates from 1 (i.e., isotropic limit). The ratios Ra/Rb are read from Fig. 2c at 0, at saturation (i.e., thick dotted line at 1.2 bar) and at 0 released ρ. Ra/Rb disappears upon releasing ρ back to zero (‘(r)’ denotes released ρ). At Tc (inset b) the onset of the optical anisotropy is only incipient and above Tc (inset c) there is no signature of the optical anisotropy upon sweeping ρ. We note that for compositions between x ≃ 0.25 and 0.3, Ba1−xKxFe2As2 suffers a reentrant C4 antiferromagnetic phase transition at temperatures below the C2 antiferromagnetic/ nematic transition. This aspect as well as the still on-going debate on the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter are neglected in this schematic representation of the phase diagram« less

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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.