arXiv subjects

A. Iyo

Publications and source records attributed to A. Iyo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Translational symmetry breaking in the electronic nematic phase of BaFe2As2

The microscopic origin of the nematicity, namely, four-fold rotational symmetry breaking in iron-based superconductors has been controversial since its discovery. In particular, its relationship with the stripe-type spin-density-wave order and the orthorhombic lattice distortion in the antiferromagnetic orthorhombic (AFO) phase, which exists at temperatures below the electronic nematic phase, has been highly debated. Here, we report on the temperature evolution of angle-resolved photoemission spectra of the parent compound BaFe2As2, ranging from the AFO to nematic to paramagnetic phases. The Dirac cone feature, which is formed in the AFO phase, is found to persist in the nematic phase, suggesting that an antiferroic order of the same periodicity as the AFO phase persists in the nematic phase. Considering the relatively shallow d_xy orbital in BaFe2As2, we propose that an antiferro-orbital order involving the d_xy and other orbitals takes place in the nematic phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Dynamics of orbital degrees of freedom probed via isotope $^{121,123}$ Sb nuclear quadrupole moments in Sb-substituted iron-pnictide superconductors

Isotope $^{121,123}$Sb nuclei with large electric quadrupole moments are applied to investigate the dynamics of orbital degrees of freedom in Sb-substituted iron(Fe)-based compounds. In the parent compound LaFe(As$_{0.6}$Sb$_{0.4}$)O, the nuclear spin relaxation rate $^{121,123}(T_{1}^{-1})$ at $^{121,123}$Sb sites was enhanced at structural transition temperature ($T_{s}\sim$ 135 K), which is higher than N\'eel temperature ($T_{\rm N}\sim$125 K). The isotope ratio $^{123}(T_{1}^{-1})/^{121}(T_{1}^{-1})$ indicates that the electric quadrupole relaxation due to the dynamical electric field gradient at Sb site increases significantly toward $T_{s}$. It is attributed to the critically enhanced nematic fluctuations of stripe-type arrangement of Fe-$3d_{xz}$ (or $3d_{yz}$) orbitals. In the lightly electron-doped superconducting (SC) compound LaFe(As$_{0.7}$Sb$_{0.3}$)(O$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$), the nematic fluctuations are largely suppressed in comparison with the case of the parent compound, however, it remains a small enhancement below 80 K down to the $T_c$($\sim$ 20 K). The results indicate that the fluctuations from both the spin and orbital degrees of freedom on the $3d_{xz}$(or $3d_{yz}$) orbitals can be seen in lightly electron-doped SC state of LaFeAsO-based compounds. We emphasize that isotope $^{121,123}$Sb quadrupole moments are sensitive local probe to identify the dynamics of orbital degrees of freedom in Fe-pnictides, which provides with a new opportunity to discuss the microscopic correlation between the superconductivity and both nematic and spin fluctuations simultaneously even in the polycrystalline samples.

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arXiv2021

Thermodynamic Signatures of Diagonal Nematicity in RbFe$_2$As$_2$ Superconductor

Electronic nematic states with broken rotational symmetry often emerge in correlated materials. In most iron-based superconductors, the nematic anisotropy is oriented in the Fe-Fe direction of the iron square lattice. Recently, a novel type of nematicity along the diagonal Fe-As direction has been suggested in heavily hole-doped $A$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($A=$ Rb or Cs). However, the transport studies focusing on the fluctuations of such nematicity have provided controversial results regarding the presence of diagonal nematic order. Here we report high-resolution heat capacity measurements under in-plane field rotation in RbFe$_2$As$_2$. While the temperature dependence of specific heat shows no discernible anomaly associated with the nematic transition, the field-angle dependence of specific heat near the superconducting transition (at $\sim 2.8$ K) reveals clear two-fold oscillations within the plane, providing thermodynamic evidence for the diagonal nematicity. Moreover, we find that M\"ossbauer spectroscopy sensitively probes the nematic transition at $\sim 50$ K with no evidence of static magnetism. These results imply that the diagonal nematicity in RbFe$_2$As$_2$ has a unique mechanism involving charge degrees of freedom, having unusual thermodynamic properties of the transition.

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arXiv2019

Unconventional Multi-gap Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetic Spin Fluctuations in New Iron-arsenide LaFe2As2 in Heavily Electron-doped Regime

We report 75As-NMR/NQR results on new iron-arsenide compounds (La0.5-xNa0.5+x)Fe2As2. The parent compound x=0 exhibits a stripe-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order below T_N=130 K. The measurement of nuclear spin relaxation rate at hole-doped x=+0.3 and heavily electron-doped x=-0.5 revealed that the normal-state properties are dominated by AFM spin fluctuations (AFMSFs), which are more significant at x=+0.3 than at x=-0.5. Their superconducting (SC) phases are characterized by unconventional multi-gap SC state, where the smaller SC gaps are particularly weaken in common. The experimental results indicate the close relationship between the AFMSFs and the SC from the hole-doped state to heavily electron-doped state, which shed light on a unique SC phase emerged in the heavily electron-doped regime being formally equivalent to non-SC compound Ba(Fe0.5Co0.5)Fe2As2.

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arXiv2019

High-$T_c$ Iron-phosphide Superconductivity Enhanced by Reemergent Antiferromagnetic Spin Fluctuations in (Sr$_4$Sc$_2$O$_6$)Fe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_2$ probed by NMR

We report a systematic NMR study on [Sr$_4$Sc$_2$O$_6$]Fe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$, for which the local lattice parameters of the iron-pnictogen (Fe$Pn$) layer are similar to those of the series LaFe(As$_{1-x'}$P$_{x'}$)O, which exhibit two segregated antiferromagnetic (AFM) order phases, AFM1 at $x'$=0-0.2 and AFM2 at $x'$=0.4-0.7. Our results revealed that the parent AFM1 phase at $x$=0 disappears at $x$=0.3-0.4, corresponding to a pnictogen height ($h_{pn}$) from the Fe-plane of 1.3-1.32 Å, which is similar to that of LaFe(As$_{1-x'}$P$_{x'}$)O and various parent Fe-pnictides. By contrast, the AFM2 order reported for LaFe(As$_{0.4}$P$_{0.6}$)O does not appear at $x\sim$0.8, although the local lattice parameters of the Fe$Pn$ layer and the microscopic electronic states are quite similar. Despite the absence of the {\it static} AFM2 order, reemergent {\it dynamical} AFM spin fluctuations were observed at approximately $x\sim$0.8, which can be attributed to the instability of the AFM2 phase. We suggest this re-enhancement of AFM spin fluctuations to play a significant role in enhancing the $T_c$ to 17 K for $x$=0.8-1. Finally, we discuss the universality and diversity of the complicated magnetic ground states from a microscopic point of view, including the difference in the origins of the AFM1 and AFM2 phases, and their relations with the high superconducting transitions in Fe-pnictides.

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arXiv2019

Coexisting spin resonance and long-range magnetic order of Eu in EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$

Magnetic excitations and magnetic structure of EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$ were investigated by inelastic neutron scattering (INS), neutron diffraction, and random phase approximation (RPA) calculations. Below the superconducting transition temperature $T_\text{c}=36.5$~K, the INS spectra exhibit the neutron spin resonances at $Q_\text{res}=1.27(2)$~$\textÅ^{-1}$ and $1.79(3)$~$\textÅ^{-1}$. They correspond to the $\mathbf{Q}=(0.5,0.5,1)$ and $(0.5,0.5,3)$ nesting wave vectors, showing three dimensional nature of the band structure. The characteristic energy of the neutron spin resonance is $E_\text{res}=17.7(3)$~meV corresponding to $5.7(1)k_\text{B}T_\text{c}$. Observation of the neutron spin resonance mode and our RPA calculations in conjunction with the recent optical conductivity measurements are indicative of the $s_\pm$ superconducting pairing symmetry in EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$. In addition to the neutron spin resonance mode, upon decreasing temperature below the magnetic transition temperature $T_\text{N}=15$~K, the spin wave excitation originating in the long-range magnetic order of the Eu sublattice was observed in the low-energy inelastic channel. Single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements demonstrate that the magnetic propagation vector of the Eu sublattice is $\mathbf{k}=(0, 0, 0.25)$, representing the three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order. Linear spin wave calculations assuming the obtained magnetic structure with the intra- and inter-plane nearest neighbor exchange couplings of $J_1/k_\text{B}=-1.31$~K and $J_c/k_\text{B}=0.08$~K can reproduce quantitatively the observed spin wave excitation. Our results show that superconductivity and long-range magnetic order of Eu coexist in EuRbFe$_4$As$_4$ whereas the coupling between them is rather weak.

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arXiv2019

Emergent XY electronic nematicity in iron-based superconductors

Electronic nematicity, a correlated state that spontaneously breaks rotational symmetry, is observed in several layered quantum materials. In contrast to their liquid-crystal counterparts, the nematic director cannot usually point in an arbitrary direction (XY nematics), but is locked by the crystal to discrete directions (Ising nematics),resulting in strongly anisotropic fluctuations above the transition. Here, we report on the observation of nearly isotropic XY-nematic fluctuations, via elastoresistance measurements, in hole-doped Ba$_{1-x}$Rb$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ iron-based superconductors. While for $x=0$ the nematic director points along the in-plane diagonals of the tetragonal lattice, for $x=1$ it points along the horizontal and vertical axes. Remarkably, for intermediate doping, the susceptibilities of these two symmetry-irreducible nematic channels display comparable Curie-Weiss behavior, thus revealing a nearly XY-nematic state. This opens a new route to assess this elusive electronic quantum liquid-crystalline state, which is a candidate to host unique phenomena not present in the Ising-nematic case.

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arXiv2017

Spin Resonance in the New-Structure-Type Iron-Based Superconductor CaKFe4As4

The dynamical spin susceptibility in the new-structure-type iron-based superconductor CaKFe$_4$As$_4$ was investigated by using a combination of inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements and random phase approximation (RPA) calculations. Powder INS measurements show that the spin resonance at $Q_\text{res}=1.17(1)$~$\textÅ^{-1}$, corresponding to the $(π,π)$ nesting wave vector in tetragonal notation, evolves below $T_\text{c}$. The characteristic energy of the spin resonance $E_\text{res}=12.5$~meV is smaller than twice the size of the superconducting gap ($2Δ$). The broad energy feature of the dynamical susceptibility of the spin resonance can be explained by the RPA calculations, in which the different superconducting gaps on different Fermi surfaces are taken into account. Our INS and PRA studies demonstrate that the superconducting pairing nature in CaKFe$_4$As$_4$ is the $s_\pm$ symmetry.

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arXiv2017

Signature of multigap nodeless superconductivity in CaKFe4As4

A newly discovered family of high-Tc Fe-based superconductors, AeAFe4As4 (Ae = Ca, Sr, Eu and A = K, Rb, Cs), offers further opportunities to understand unconventional superconductivity in these materials. In this Rapid Communication, we report on the superconducting and magnetic properties of CaKFe4As4, studied using muon spectroscopy. Zero-field muon spin relaxation studies carried out on the CaKFe4As4 superconductor do not show any detectable magnetic anomaly at Tc or below, implying that time-reversal symmetry is preserved in the superconducting ground state. The temperature dependence of the superfluid density of CaKFe4As4 is found to be compatible with a two-gap s + s-wave model with gap values of 8.6(4) and 2.5(3) meV, similar to the other Fe-based superconductors. The presence of two superconducting energy gaps is consistent with theoretical and other experimental studies on this material. The value of the penetration depth at T = 0 K has been determined as 289(22) nm.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2016

Unusual nodal behaviors of the superconducting gap in the iron-based superconductor Ba(Fe$_{0.65}$Ru$_{0.35}$)$_2$As$_2$: Effects of spin-orbit coupling

We have investigated the superconducting gap of optimally doped Ba(Fe$_{0.65}$Ru$_{0.35}$)$_2$As$_2$ by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (APRES) using bulk-sensitive 7 eV laser and synchrotron radiation. It was found that the gap is isotropic in the $k_x$-$k_y$ plane both on the electron and hole Fermi surfaces (FSs). The gap magnitudes of two resolved hole FSs show similar $k_z$ dependences and decrease as $k_z$ approaches $\sim$ 2$π$/$c$ (i.e., around the Z point) unlike the other Fe-based superconductors reported so far, where the superconducting gap of only one hole FS shows a strong $k_z$ dependence. This unique gap structure can be understood in the scenario that the $d_{z^2}$ orbital character is mixed into both hole FSs due to the finite spin-orbit coupling between almost degenerate FSs and is reproduced by calculations within the random phase approximation including the spin-orbit coupling.

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arXiv2016

Iron Isotope Effect in SmFeAsO0.65 and SmFeAsO0.77H0.12 Superconductors: A Raman Study

We report the inelastic light scattering studies on SmFeAsO0.65 and SmFeAsO0.77H0.12 with iron isotopes namely 54Fe and 57Fe. In both of these systems under investigation we observed a significant shift in the frequency of the phonon modes associated with the displacement of Fe atoms around ~ 200 cm-1. The observed shift in the Fe mode (B1g) for SmFeAsO0.65 is ~ 1.4 % and lower in case of SmFeAsO0.77H0.12, which is ~ 0.65 %, attributed to the lower percentage of isotopic substitution in case of SmFeAsO0.77H0.12. Our study reveals the significant iron isotope effect in these systems hinting towards the crucial role of electron-phonon coupling in the pairing mechanism of iron based superconductors.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Orbital anisotropy underlying the superconducting dome in BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ superconductors

We investigate the in-plane anisotropy of Fe 3d orbitals occurring in a wide temperature and composition range of BaFe2(As1-xPx)2 system. By employing the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, the lifting of degeneracy in dxz and dyz orbitals at the Brillouin zone corners can be obtained as a measure of the orbital anisotropy. In the underdoped regime, it starts to evolve on cooling from high temperatures above both antiferromagnetic and orthorhombic transitions. With increasing x, it well survives into the superconducting regime, but gradually gets suppressed and finally disappears around the non-superconducting transition (x = 0.7). The observed spontaneous in-plane orbital anisotropy, possibly coupled with anisotropic lattice and magnetic fluctuations, implies the rotational-symmetry broken electronic state working as the stage for the superconductivity in BaFe2(As1-xPx)2.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2015

In-plane electronic anisotropy in the antiferromagnetic-orthorhombic phase of isovalent-substituted Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ru$_x$)$_2$As$_2$

We have studied the anisotropy in the in-plane resistivity and the electronic structure of isovalent Ru-substituted BaFe$_2$As$_2$ in the antiferromagnetic-orthorhombic phase using well-annealed crystals. The anisotropy in the residual resistivity component increases in proportional to the Ru dopant concentration, as in the case of Co-doped compounds. On the other hand, both the residual resistivity and the resistivity anisotropy induced by isovalent Ru substitution is found to be one order of magnitude smaller than those induced by heterovalent Co substitution. Combined with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy results, which show almost the same anisotropic band structure both for the parent and Ru-substituted compounds, we confirm the scenario that the anisotropy in the residual resistivity arises from anisotropic impurity scattering in the magneto-structurally ordered phase rather than directly from the anisotropic band structure of that phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Experimental observation of a first-order phase transition below the superconducting transition temperature in the multilayer cuprate superconductor HgBa$_2$Ca$_4$Cu$_5$O$_y$

A first-order phase transition is found in the multilayer cuprate superconductor, HgBa$_2$Ca$_4$Cu$_5$O$_y$ (Hg-1245), with a superconducting transition temperature of 108 K, under zero magnetic field. We observed a hysteretic specific heat jump around 41 K. We conclude that the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer pairs have a residual entropy due to fluctuations in the phase difference between the five CuO$_2$ planes in a unit cell of Hg-1245, and that this fluctuation freezes below the first-order phase transition temperature.

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arXiv2014

Magnetic form factor analysis on detwinned single crystal of BaFe$_2$As$_2$

We have performed neutron diffraction measurement on a single crystal of parent compound of iron-based superconductor, BaFe$_2$As$_2$ at 12~K. In order to investigate in-plane anisotropy of magnetic form factor in the antiferromagnetic phase, the detwinned single crystal is used in the measurement. The magnetic structure factor and magnetic form factor are well explained by the spin densities consisting of $3d_{yz}$ electrons with a fraction of about 40~\% and the electrons in the other four $3d$ orbitals with each fraction of about 15~\%. Such anisotropic magnetic form factor is qualitatively consistent with the anisotropic magnetic behaviors observed in the antiferromagnetic phase of the parent compound of iron-based superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Vortex lattice structure in BaFe2(As0.67P0.33)2 by the small-angle neutron scattering technique

We have observed a magnetic vortex lattice (VL) in BaFe2(As_{0.67}P_{0.33})2 (BFAP) single crystals by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). With the field along the c-axis, a nearly isotropic hexagonal VL was formed in the field range from 1 to 16 T, which is a record for this technique in the pnictides, and no symmetry changes in the VL were observed. The temperature-dependence of the VL signal was measured and confirms the presence of (non d-wave) nodes in the superconducting gap structure for measurements at 5 T and below. The nodal effects were suppressed at high fields. At low fields, a VL reorientation transition was observed between 1 T and 3 T, with the VL orientation changing by 45°. Below 1 T, the VL structure was strongly affected by pinning and the diffraction pattern had a fourfold symmetry. We suggest that this (and possibly also the VL reorientation) is due to pinning to defects aligned with the crystal structure, rather than being intrinsic.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2014

Electronic structure of BaNi$_2$P$_2$ observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We have performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of BaNi$_2$P$_2$ which shows a superconducting transition at $T_c$ $\sim$ 2.5 K. We observed hole and electron Fermi surfaces (FSs) around the Brillouin zone center and corner, respectively, and the shapes of the hole FSs dramatically changed with photon energy, indicating strong three-dimensionality. The observed FSs are consistent with band-structure calculation and de Haas-van Alphen measurements. The mass enhancement factors estimated in the normal state were $m^*$/$m_b$ $\leq$ 2, indicating weak electron correlation compared to typical iron-pnictide superconductors. An electron-like Fermi surface around the Z point was observed in contrast with BaNi$_2$As$_2$ and may be related to the higher $T_c$ of BaNi$_2$P$_2$.

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arXiv2014

Evidence of a universal relation between electron-mode coupling and Tc in Ba1-xKxFe2As2 superconductor from Laser ARPES

We performed a Laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study on a wide doping range of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (BaK) iron-based superconductor. We observed a robust low-binding energy (BE) kink structure in the dispersion which is doping dependent where its energy peaks at the optimally-doped (OP) level (x~0.4) and decreases towards the underdoped (UD) and overdoped (OD) sides. It is also temperature-dependent and survives up to ~90K. We attribute this kink to electron-mode coupling in good agreement with the inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) results on the same compound which observed a similar bosonic mode associated with spin excitations. The relation between the mode energy (Ω) and the SC transition temperature (Tc) deduced from our Laser ARPES data follow the universal relation deduced from INS and STM. In addition, we could resolve another kink at higher BE showing less doping and temperature dependence and may thus be of different origin.

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