Similar zone-center gaps in the low-energy spin-wave spectra of NaFeAs and BaFe2As2

J. T. Park; G. Friemel; T. Loew; V. Hinkov; Yuan Li; B. H. Min; D. L. Sun; A. Ivanov; A. Piovano; C. T. Lin; B. Keimer; Y. S. Kwon; D. S. Inosov

doi:10.1103/physrevb.86.024437

arXiv · 1204.0875

Similar zone-center gaps in the low-energy spin-wave spectra of NaFeAs and BaFe2As2

J. T. Park·G. Friemel·T. Loew·V. Hinkov·Yuan Li·B. H. Min·D. L. Sun·A. Ivanov·A. Piovano·C. T. Lin·B. Keimer·Y. S. Kwon·D. S. Inosov

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Abstract

We report results of inelastic-neutron-scattering measurements of low-energy spin-wave excitations in two structurally distinct families of iron-pnictide parent compounds: Na(1-{\delta})FeAs and BaFe2As2. Despite their very different values of the ordered magnetic moment and N\'eel temperatures, T_N, in the antiferromagnetic state both compounds exhibit similar spin gaps of the order of 10 meV at the magnetic Brillouin-zone center. The gap opens sharply below T_N, with no signatures of a precursor gap at temperatures between the orthorhombic and magnetic phase transitions in Na(1-{\delta})FeAs. We also find a relatively weak dispersion of the spin-wave gap in BaFe2As2 along the out-of-plane momentum component, q_z. At the magnetic zone boundary (q_z = 0), spin excitations in the ordered state persist down to 20 meV, which implies a much smaller value of the effective out-of-plane exchange interaction, J_c, as compared to previous estimates based on fitting the high-energy spin-wave dispersion to a Heisenberg-type model.

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J. T. Park, G. Friemel, T. Loew, V. Hinkov, Yuan Li, B. H. Min, D. L. Sun, A. Ivanov, A. Piovano, C. T. Lin, B. Keimer, Y. S. Kwon, D. S. Inosov. 2012-04-04. Similar zone-center gaps in the low-energy spin-wave spectra of NaFeAs and BaFe2As2. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.86.024437

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