arXiv subjects

G. F. Chen

Publications and source records attributed to G. F. Chen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

23Na and 75As NMR Study of Antiferromagnetism and Spin Fluctuations on NaFeAs Single Crystals

We report the $^{23}$Na and $^{75}$As NMR studies on NaFeAs single crystals. The structure transition temperature $T_S$ (55 K) and the spin density wave (SDW) transition temperature $T_{SDW}$ (40.5 K) are determined by the NMR line splits. The spin-lattice relaxation rates indicate that the spin fluctuations are strongly enhanced just below $T_S$ and drive a second order SDW transition. A fluctuating feature of the SDW ordering is also seen below the $T_{SDW}$. We further performed high-pressure NMR studies on NaFeAs, and found that the $T_{SDW}$ increases by $\sim$7 K and the magnetic moment increases by 30% under 2.5 GPa pressure.

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arXiv2011

77Se NMR study of pairing symmetry and spin dynamics in KyFe2-xSe2

We present a 77Se NMR study of the newly discovered iron selenide superconductor KyFe2-xSe2, in which Tc = 32 K. Below Tc, the Knight shift 77K drops sharply with temperature, providing strong evidence for singlet pairing. Above Tc, Korringa-type relaxation indicates Fermi-liquid behavior. Our experimental results set strict constraints on the nature of possible theories for the mechanism of high-Tc superconductivity in this iron selenide system.

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arXiv2011

Superconductivity and normal state properties of single-crystalline Tl0.47Rb0.34Fe1.63Se2 as seen via 77Se and 87Rb NMR

We report both 77Se and 87Rb NMR studies on Tl0.47Rb0.34Fe1.63Se2 single-crystalline superconductors (T_c about 32 K). Singlet superconductivity is decisively determined by a sharp drop of the Knight shift K(T) below T_c, after subtracting the superconducting diamagnetic effect. However, the Hebel-Slichter coherence peak below T_c is not observed in the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T_1, even with a low in-plane NMR field of 2.6 Tesla. Just above T_c, no evidence of low-energy spin fluctuation is found in the spin-lattice relaxation rate on both the 77Se and the 87Rb sites. Upon warming, however, the Knight shifts and the spin-lattice relaxation rates of both nuclei increase substantially with temperature. In particular, the Knight shift is nearly isotropic and follow a function fit of K=a+bT^2 from T_c up to 300 K. These normal state properties may be an indication of thermally activated spin fluctuations. Our observations should put a strong constraint to the theory of magnetism and superconductivity in the newly discovered iron-based superconductors.

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arXiv2011

Microstructure and Fe-vacancy ordering in the KFexSe2 superconducting system

Structural investigations by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on KFexSe2 with 1.5 \leq x \leq 1.8 have revealed a rich variety of microstructure phenomena, the KFe1.5Se2 crystal often shows a superstructure modulation along the [310] zone-axis direction, this superstructure can be well interpreted by the Fe-vacancy order within the a-b plane. Increase of Fe-concentration in the KFexSe2 materials could not only result in the appearance of superconductivity but also yield clear alternations of microstructure. Structural inhomogeneity, the complex superstructures and defect structures in the superconducting KFe1.8Se2 sample have been investigated based on the high-resolution TEM.

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arXiv2011

Spin waves in the $(π,0)$ magnetically ordered iron chalcogenide Fe$_{1.05}$Te

We use inelastic neutron scattering to show that the spin waves in the iron chalcogenide Fe$_{1.05}$Te display novel dispersion clearly different from those in the related iron pnictide systems. By fitting the spin waves to a Heisenberg Hamiltonian, we extract magnetic exchange couplings that are dramatically different from both predictions by density functional calculations and measurements on the iron pnictide CaFe$_2$As$_2$. While the nearest-neighbor exchange couplings in CaFe$_2$As$_2$ and Fe$_{1.05}$Te are quite different, their next-nearest-neighbor exchange couplings are similar. These results suggest that superconductivity in the pnictides and chalcogenides share a common magnetic origin that is intimately associated with the next-nearest-neighbor magnetic coupling between the irons.

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arXiv2011

Common Fermi Surface Topology and Nodeless Superconducting Gap in K0.68Fe1.79Se2 and (Tl0.45K0.34)Fe1.84Se2 Superconductors Revealed from Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

We carried out high resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements on the electronic structure and superconducting gap of K_0.68Fe_1.79Se_2 (T_c=32 K) and (Tl_0.45K_0.34)Fe_1.84Se_2 (T_c=28 K) superconductors. In addition to the electron-like Fermi surface near M(π,π), two electron-like Fermi pockets are revealed around the zone center Γ(0,0) in K0.68Fe1.79Se_2. This observation makes the Fermi surface topology of K_0.68Fe_1.79Se_2 consistent with that of (Tl,Rb)_xFe_{2-y}Se_2 and (Tl,K)_xFe_{2-y}Se_2 compounds. A nearly isotropic superconducting gap (Δ) is observed along the electron-like Fermi pocket near the M point in K_0.68Fe_1.79Se_2 (Δ\sim 9 meV) and (Tl_0.45K_0.34)Fe_1.84Se_2 (Δ\sim 8 meV). The establishment of a universal picture on the Fermi surface topology and superconducting gap in the A_xFe_2-ySe_2 (A=K, Tl, Cs, Rb and etc.) superconductors will provide important information in understanding the superconductivity mechanism of the iron-based superconductors.

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arXiv2011

A Novel Large Moment Antiferromagnetic Order in K0.8Fe1.6Se2 Superconductor

The discovery of cuprate high Tc superconductors has inspired searching for unconventional su- perconductors in magnetic materials. A successful recipe has been to suppress long-range order in a magnetic parent compound by doping or high pressure to drive the material towards a quantum critical point, which is replicated in recent discovery of iron-based high TC superconductors. The long-range magnetic order coexisting with superconductivity has either a small magnetic moment or low ordering temperature in all previously established examples. Here we report an exception to this rule in the recently discovered potassium iron selenide. The superconducting composition is identified as the iron vacancy ordered K0.8Fe1.6Se2 with Tc above 30 K. A novel large moment 3.31 μB/Fe antiferromagnetic order which conforms to the tetragonal crystal symmetry has the unprecedentedly high an ordering temperature TN = 559 K for a bulk superconductor. Staggeredly polarized electronic density of states thus is suspected, which would stimulate further investigation into superconductivity in a strong spin-exchange field under new circumstance.

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arXiv2011

77Se NMR Evidence of Strongly Coupled Superconductivity in K0.8Fe2-xSe2

We report the 77Se NMR Knight shift and spin-lattice relaxation studies on the superconducting state of the ternary iron selenide K0.8Fe2-xSe2 with Tc~30 K. Just below Tc, the Knight shift 77Kn shows an immediate drop, indicating a singlet pairing. The spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/77T1 decreases rapidly in the temperature range from TC to Tc/2, which can be fit with an isotropic gap of Δ~3.8\pm 0.5 k_BTc. The Hebel-Slichter coherence peak is not observed. These data give bulk evidence for a strongly coupled superconductivity with isotropic gaps in K0.8Fe2-xSe2, which is similar to other iron-based high temperature superconductors. Below Tc/2, the spin-part of the Knight shift levels off to a constant value (~0.09%), and the spin-lattice relaxation follows a 1/T1 T^2 behavior, which are not well understood.

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arXiv2011

Upper critical field of the 122-type iron pnictide superconductors

The upper critical fields ($H_{c2}$) of the single crystals $\rm(Sr,Na)Fe_2As_2$ and $\rm Ba_{0.55}K_{0.45}Fe_2As_2$ were determined by means of measuring the electrical resistivity, $ ρ_{xx}(μ_0H)$, using the facilities of pulsed magnetic field at Los Alamos. In general, these compounds possess a very large upper critical field ($H_{c2}(0)$) with a weak anisotropic effect. The detailed curvature of $H_{c2}(T_c)$ may depend on the magnetic field orientation and the sample compositions. We argue that such a difference mainly results from the multi-band effect, which might be modified via doping.

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arXiv2011

The magnetoresistance and Hall effect in CeFeAsO: a high magnetic field study

The longitudinal electrical resistivity and the transverse Hall resistivity of CeFeAsO are simultaneously measured up to a magnetic field of 45T using the facilities of pulsed magnetic field at Los Alamos. Distinct behaviour is observed in both the magnetoresistance Rxx(μ0H) and the Hall resistance Rxy(μ0H) while crossing the structural phase transition at Ts \approx 150K. At temperatures above Ts, little magnetoresistance is observed and the Hall resistivity follows linear field dependence. Upon cooling down the system below Ts, large magnetoresistance develops and the Hall resistivity deviates from the linear field dependence. Furthermore, we found that the transition at Ts is extremely robust against the external magnetic field. We argue that the magnetic state in CeFeAsO is unlikely a conventional type of spin-density-wave (SDW).

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arXiv2011

Universality of superconducting gaps in overdoped Ba0.3K0.7Fe2As2 observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on the overdoped Ba$_{0.3}$K$_{0.7}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ superconductor ($T_c$ = 22 K). We demonstrate that the superconducting (SC) gap on each Fermi surface (FS) is nearly isotropic whereas the gap value varies from 4.4 to 7.9 meV on different FSs. By comparing with under- and optimally-doped Ba$_{1-x}$K$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$, we find that the gap value on each FS nearly scales with $T_c$ over a wide doping range (0.25 $\textyen leq$ $x$ $\textyen leq$ 0.7). Although the FS volume and the SC gap magnitude are strongly doping dependent, the multiple nodeless gaps can be commonly fitted by a single gap function assuming pairing up to the second-nearest-neighbor, suggesting the universality of the short-range pairing states with the $s_{\yenpm}$-wave symmetry.

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arXiv2011

The effect of varying Fe-content on transport properties of K intercalated iron selenide KxFe2-ySe2

We report the successful growth of high-quality single crystals of potassium intercalated iron selenide KxFe2-ySe2 by Bridgeman method. The effect of iron vacancies on transport properties was investigated by electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. With varying iron content, the system passes from semiconducting/insulating to superconducting state. Comparing with superconductivity, the anomalous "hump" effect in the normal state resistivity is much more sensitive to the iron deficiency. The electrical resistivity exhibits a perfect metallic behavior (R300K/R35K=42) for the sample with little iron vacancies. Our results suggest that the anomalous "hump" effect in the normal state resistivity may be due to the ordering process of the cation vacancies in this non-stoichiometric compound rather than magnetic/structure transition. A trace of superconductivity extending up to near 44 K was also detected in some crystals of KxFe2-ySe2, which has the highest Tc of the reported iron selenides.

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arXiv2010

NMR evidence of strong-correlated superconductivity in LiFeAs: tuning toward an SDW ordering

In this letter, we reported the results of NMR study on LiFeAs single crystals. We find a strong evidence of the low temperature spin fluctuations; by changing sample preparation conditions, the system can be tuned toward an spin-density-wave (SDW) quantum-critical point. The detection of an interstitial Li(2) ion, possibly locating in the tetrahedral hole, suggests that the off-stoichiometry and/or lattice defect can probably account for the absence of the SDW ordering in LiFeAs. These facts show that LiFeAs is a strongly correlated system and the superconductivity is likely originated from the SDW fluctuations.

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arXiv2010

23Na and 75As NMR Studies on NaFeAs0.8P0.2 Single Crystals

We report our $^{23}$Na and $^{75}$As NMR studies on isovalent phosphorus-doped NaFeAs$_{0.8}$P$_{0.2}$ ($T_c=$ 33 K) single crystals. Our data suggest a dramatic enhancement of the electron density of states on the Fermi surface, and a large residual electron density of state below $T_c$. However, evidence of antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations is shown by the spin-lattice relaxation rate. The penetration depth, revealed from $^{23}$Na NMR linewidth, follows the universal Uemura relation in iron pnictides. These observations suggest that the correlation effects are still important for the superconductivity in the phosphorus doped sample, although the Fermi surface is probably significantly changed upon doping.

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arXiv2010

Band-dependent Quasiparticle Dynamics in Single Crystals of the Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ Superconductor Revealed by Pump-Probe Spectroscopy

We report on band-dependent quasiparticle dynamics in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ ($T_c = 37 K$) measured using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy. In the superconducting state, we observe two distinct relaxation processes: a fast component whose decay rate increases linearly with excitation density and a slow component with an excitation density independent decay rate. We argue that these two components reflect the recombination of quasiparticles in the two hole bands through intraband and interband processes. We also find that the thermal recombination rate of quasiparticles increases quadratically with temperature. The temperature and excitation density dependence of the decays indicates fully gapped hole bands and nodal or very anisotropic electron bands.

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arXiv2010

Unusual Electronic Structure and Observation of Dispersion Kink in CeFeAsO Parent Compound of FeAs-Based Superconductors

We report the first comprehensive high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements on CeFeAsO, a parent compound of FeAs-based high temperature superconductors with a mangetic/structural transition at $\sim$150 K. In the magnetic ordering state, four hole-like Fermi surface sheets are observed near $Γ$(0,0) and the Fermi surface near M(+/-$π$,+/-$π$) shows a tiny electron-like pocket at M surrounded by four Dirac cone-like strong spots. The unusual Fermi surface topology deviates strongly from the band structure calculations. The electronic signature of the magnetic/structural transition shows up in the dramatic change of the quasiparticle scattering rate. A dispersion kink at $\sim$ 25meV is for the first time observed in the parent compound of Fe-based superconductors.

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arXiv2010

Intergrain effects in the AC susceptibility of polycrystalline LaFeAsO_{0.94}F_{0.06}: comparison with cuprate superconductors

The AC susceptibility at zero DC magnetic field of a polycrystalline sample of LaFeAsO_{0.94}F_{0.06} (T_c = 24 K) has been investigated as a function of the temperature, the amplitude of the AC magnetic field (in the range Hac = 0.003 - 4 Oe) and the frequency (in the range f = 10 kHz - 100 kHz). The temperature dependence of the AC susceptibility exhibits the typical two-step transition arising from the combined response of superconduncting grains and intergranular weak-coupled medium. The intergranular part of the susceptibility strongly depends on both the amplitude and the frequency of the AC driving field, from few Kelvin below T_c down to T = 4.2 K. Our results show that, in the investigated sample, the intergrain critical current is not determined by pinning of Josephson vortices but by Josephson critical current across neighboring grains.

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arXiv2010

Site-dependent NMR Spin-lattice Relaxation in the Superconducting State of an Iron Pnictide Superconductor

In a conventional superconductor, the spin-lattice relaxation rate on all nuclei should have the same temperature dependence below Tc. We performed $^{23}$Na, $^{75}$As, and $^{59}$Co NMR studies on single crystals of NaFe0.95Co0.05As, and found that spin-lattice relaxation rates show very different temperature dependent power-law behavior on three sites. We propose that such site-dependent behavior is due to the facts that the superconductor has two gaps of very different sizes. The power-law exponent of each nucleus is affected by the strength of the hyperfine coupling to the small gap. We also found that the large superconducting gap on the cobalt site is smaller than on other two sites. It suggests a local suppression of the superconducting gap on the dopant site.

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