Momentum-resolved superconducting gap in the bulk of Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ from combined ARPES and $μ$SR measurements

Abstract

Here we present a calculation of the temperature-dependent London penetration depth, $λ(T)$, in Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ (BKFA) on the basis of the electronic band structure [1,2] and momentum-dependent superconducting gap [3] extracted from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) data. The results are compared to the direct measurements of $λ(T)$ by muon spin rotation ($μ$SR) [4]. The value of $λ(T=0)$, calculated with \emph{no} adjustable parameters, equals 270 nm, while the directly measured one is 320 nm; the temperature dependence $λ(T)$ is also easily reproduced. Such agreement between the two completely different approaches allows us to conclude that ARPES studies of BKFA are bulk-representative. Our review of the available experimental studies of the superconducting gap in the new iron-based superconductors in general allows us to state that all hole-doped of them bear two nearly isotropic gaps with coupling constants $2Δ/k_{\rm B}T_{\rm c}=2.5\pm1.5$ and $7\pm2$.