Spin-liquid polymorphism in a correlated electron system on the threshold of superconductivity

Zaliznyak, Igor; Savici, Andrei T.; Lumsden, Mark; Tsvelik, Alexei; Hu, Rongwei; Petrovic, Cedomir

doi:10.1073/pnas.1503559112

Title: Spin-liquid polymorphism in a correlated electron system on the threshold of superconductivity

Journal Article · Mon Aug 03 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1503559112· OSTI ID:1235119

Zaliznyak, Igor ^[1]; Savici, Andrei T. ^[2]; Lumsden, Mark ^[2]; Tsvelik, Alexei ^[1]; Hu, Rongwei ^[1]; Petrovic, Cedomir ^[1]

Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973,
Neutron Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831

We report neutron scattering measurements which reveal spin-liquid polymorphism in an “11” iron chalcogenide superconductor. It occurs when a poorly metallic magnetic state of FeTe is tuned toward superconductivity by substitution of a small amount of tellurium with isoelectronic sulfur. We also observe a liquid-like magnetic response, which is described by the coexistence of two disordered magnetic phases with different local structures whose relative abundance depends on temperature. One is the ferromagnetic (FM) plaquette phase observed in undoped, nonsuperconducting FeTe, which preserves the C₄ symmetry of the underlying square lattice and is favored at high temperatures, whereas the other is the antiferromagnetic plaquette phase with broken C₄ symmetry, which emerges with doping and is predominant at low temperatures. These findings suggest the coexistence of and competition between two distinct liquid states, and a liquid–liquid phase transformation between these states, in the electronic spin system of FeTe_1-x(S,Se)_x. We have thus discovered the remarkable physics of competing spin-liquid polymorphs in a correlated electron system approaching superconductivity. These results facilitate an understanding of large swaths of recent experimental data in unconventional superconductors. In particular, the phase with lower C₂ local symmetry, whose emergence precedes superconductivity, naturally accounts for a propensity for forming electronic nematic states which have been observed experimentally, in cuprate and iron-based superconductors alike.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Emergent Superconductivity (CES); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-98CH10886; AC05-00OR22725; SC00112704

OSTI ID:: 1235119

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1212362; OSTI ID: 1226061

Report Number(s):: BNL-108527-2015-JA

Journal Information:: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Vol. 112 Journal Issue: 33; ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:: Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 28 works

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