arXiv subjects

S. Kasahara

Publications and source records attributed to S. Kasahara.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Spin nematic susceptibility studied by inelastic neutron scattering in FeSe

Mechanism of unconventional superconductivity in FeSe has been intensely scrutinized recently because of a variety of exotic properties unprecedented for other iron-based superconductors. A central unanswered question concerns the origin of the interaction that causes the nematic transition at $T_s=90\,K$ without accompanying magnetic order. Elucidating the nature of spin excitations in the normal state is a key to addressing this issue. Here we report, from inelastic neutron-scattering measurements in FeSe single crystals, that high-energy spin excitation spectra of FeSe exhibit characteristic energy dependence with missing intensity at around 70-80$\,$meV, which are very different from other iron-based superconductors. Despite of the strongest electron correlations among the iron-based superconductor family, the spectra are qualitatively at variance with the local moment model and can be essentially described by the itinerant electron picture. Moreover, the dynamical spin susceptibility above $T_s$ is only weakly temperature dependent, which is in stark contrast to the Curie-Weiss behavior of the electronic nematic susceptibility, suggesting that the nematic transition is not likely driven by spin but by orbital degrees of freedom.

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arXiv2016

Charge induced nematicity in FeSe

The spontaneous appearance of nematicity, a state of matter that breaks rotation but not translation symmetry, is one of the most intriguing property of the iron based superconductors (Fe SC), and has relevance for the cuprates as well. Establishing the critical electronic modes behind nematicity remains however a challenge, because their associated susceptibilities are not easily accessible by conventional probes. Here using FeSe as a model system, and symmetry resolved electronic Raman scattering as a probe, we unravel the presence of critical charge nematic fluctuations near the structural / nematic transition temperature, T$_S\sim$ 90 K. The diverging behavior of the associated nematic susceptibility foretells the presence of a Pomeranchuk instability of the Fermi surface with d-wave symmetry. The excellent scaling between the observed nematic susceptibility and elastic modulus data demonstrates that the structural distortion is driven by this d-wave Pomeranchuk transition. Our results make a strong case for charge induced nematicity in FeSe.

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arXiv2016

Diamagnetic Vortex Barrier Stripes in Underdoped $BaFe_2(As_{1-x}P_x)_2$

We report magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements on underdoped $BaFe_2(As_{1-x}P_x)_2$ ($x=0.26$) that show enhanced superconductivity along stripes parallel to twin boundaries. These stripes of enhanced diamagnetic response repel vortices when we cool in a finite magnetic field and act as barriers when we drag vortices with the magnetic MFM tip. The stripes disappear when we warm the sample towards the superconducting transition temperature. We show that stripes can move when we warm the sample and comment on the relationship between the stripes and similar stripes observed previously in $Ba(Fe_{1-x}Co_x)_2As_2$.

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arXiv2016

Nematic quantum critical point without magnetism in FeSe1-xSx superconductors

The importance of antiferromagnetic fluctuations are widely acknowledged in most unconventional superconductors. In addition, cuprates and iron pnictides often exhibit unidirectional (nematic) electronic correlations, including stripe and orbital orders, whose fluctuations may also play a key role for electron pairing. However, these nematic correlations are intertwined with antiferromagnetic or charge orders, preventing us to identify the essential role of nematic fluctuations. This calls for new materials having only nematicity without competing or coexisting orders. Here we report systematic elastoresistance measurements in FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$ superconductors, which, unlike other iron-based families, exhibit an electronic nematic order without accompanying antiferromagnetic order. We find that the nematic transition temperature decreases with sulphur content $x$, whereas the nematic fluctuations are strongly enhanced. Near $x\approx0.17$, the nematic susceptibility diverges towards absolute zero, revealing a nematic quantum critical point. This highlights FeSe$_{1-x}$S$_{x}$ as a unique nonmagnetic system suitable for studying the impact of nematicity on superconductivity.

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arXiv2015

Dome-shaped magnetic order competing with high-temperature superconductivity at high pressures in FeSe

The coexistence and competition between superconductivity and electronic orders, such as spin or charge density waves, have been a central issue in high transition-temperature (${T_{\rm c}}$) superconductors. Unlike other iron-based superconductors, FeSe exhibits nematic ordering without magnetism whose relationship with its superconductivity remains unclear. More importantly, a pressure-induced fourfold increase of ${T_{\rm c}}$ has been reported, which poses a profound mystery. Here we report high-pressure magnetotransport measurements in FeSe up to $\sim9$ GPa, which uncover a hidden magnetic dome superseding the nematic order. Above ${\sim6}$ GPa the sudden enhancement of superconductivity (${T_{\rm c}\le38.3}$ K) accompanies a suppression of magnetic order, demonstrating their competing nature with very similar energy scales. Above the magnetic dome we find anomalous transport properties suggesting a possible pseudogap formation, whereas linear-in-temperature resistivity is observed above the high-${T_{\rm c}}$ phase. The obtained phase diagram highlights unique features among iron-based superconductors, but bears some resemblance to that of high-${T_{\rm c}}$ cuprates.

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arXiv2015

Optical Conductivity Evidence of Clean-Limit Superconductivity in LiFeAs

We measured the optical conductivity of superconducting LiFeAs. In the superconducting state, the formation of the condensate leads to a spectral-weight loss and yields a penetration depth of 225 nm. No sharp signature of the superconducting gap is observed. This suggests that the system is likely in the clean limit. A Drude-Lorentz parametrization of the data in the normal state reveals a quasiparticle scattering rate supportive of spin fluctuations and proximity to a quantum critical point.

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arXiv2015

Evidence for time-reversal symmetry breaking of the superconducting state near twin-boundary interfaces in FeSe

Junctions and interfaces consisting of unconventional superconductors provide an excellent experimental playground to study exotic phenomena related to the phase of the order parameter. Not only the complex structure of unconventional order parameters have an impact on the Josephson effects, but also may profoundly alter the quasi-particle excitation spectrum near a junction. Here, by using spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we visualize the spatial evolution of the local density of states (LDOS) near twin boundaries (TBs) of the nodal superconductor FeSe. The $π/2$ rotation of the crystallographic orientation across the TB twists the structure of the unconventional order parameter, which may, in principle, bring about a zero-energy LDOS peak at the TB. The LDOS at the TB observed in our study, in contrast, does not exhibit any signature of a zero-energy peak and an apparent gap amplitude remains finite all the way across the TB. The low-energy quasiparticle excitations associated with the gap nodes are affected by the TB over a distance more than an order of magnitude larger than the coherence length $ξ_{ab}$. The modification of the low-energy states is even more prominent in the region between two neighboring TBs separated by a distance $\approx7ξ_{ab}$. In this region the spectral weight near the Fermi level ($\approx\pm$0.2~meV) due to the nodal quasiparticle spectrum is almost completely removed. These behaviors suggest that the TB induces a fully-gapped state, invoking a possible twist of the order parameter structure which breaks time-reversal symmetry.

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arXiv2015

Momentum-dependent sign-inversion of orbital polarization in superconducting FeSe

We investigate the electronic reconstruction across the tetragonal-orthorhombic structural transition in FeSe by employing polarization-dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on detwinned single crystals. Across the structural transition, the electronic structures around the G and M points are modified from four-fold to two-fold symmetry due to the lifting of degeneracy in dxz/dyz orbitals. The dxz band shifts upward at the G point while it moves downward at the M point, suggesting that the electronic structure of orthorhombic FeSe is characterized by a momentum-dependent sign-changing orbital polarization. The elongated directions of the elliptical Fermi surfaces (FSs) at the G and M points are rotated by 90 degrees with respect to each other, which may be related to the absence of the antiferromagnetic order in FeSe.

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arXiv2015

Dichotomy between the hole and electrons behavior in the multiband FeSe probed by ultra high magnetic fields

Magnetoresistivity \r{ho}xx and Hall resistivity \r{ho}xy in ultra high magnetic fields up to 88T are measured down to 0.15K to clarify the multiband electronic structure in high-quality single crystals of superconducting FeSe. At low temperatures and high fields we observe quantum oscillations in both resistivity and Hall effect, confirming the multiband Fermi surface with small volumes. We propose a novel and independent approach to identify the sign of corresponding cyclotron orbit in a compensated metal from magnetotransport measurements. The observed significant differences in the relative amplitudes of the quantum oscillations between the \r{ho}xx and \r{ho}xy components, together with the positive sign of the high-field \r{ho}xy , reveal that the largest pocket should correspond to the hole band. The low-field magnetotransport data in the normal state suggest that, in addition to one hole and one almost compensated electron bands, the orthorhombic phase of FeSe exhibits an additional tiny electron pocket with a high mobility.

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arXiv2014

Anomalous critical fields in quantum critical superconductors

Fluctuations around an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point (QCP) are believed to lead to unconventional superconductivity and in some cases to high-temperature superconductivity. However, the exact mechanism by which this occurs remains poorly understood. The iron-pnictide superconductor BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ is perhaps the clearest example to date of a high temperature quantum critical superconductor, and so it is a particularly suitable system in which to study how the quantum critical fluctuations affect the superconducting state. Here we show that the proximity of the QCP yields unexpected anomalies in the superconducting critical fields. We find that both the lower and upper critical fields strongly violate the expectations from the conventional theory taking into account the observed mass enhancement near the QCP. These anomalous behaviours of the critical fields imply that the energy of superconducting vortices is enhanced, possibly due to a microscopic mixing of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity, suggesting that a highly unusual vortex state is realised in quantum critical superconductors.

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arXiv2014

Fermi surface of IrTe2 in the valence-bond state as determined by quantum oscillations

We report the observation of the de Haas-van Alphen effect in IrTe2 measured using torque magnetometry at low temperatures down to 0.4 K and in high magnetic fields up to 33T. IrTe2 undergoes a major structural transition around 283 K due to the formation of planes of Ir and Te dimers that cut diagonally through the lattice planes, with its electronic structure predicted to change significantly from a layered system with predominantly three-dimensional character to a tilted quasi-two dimensional Fermi surface. Quantum oscillations provide direct confirmation of this unusual tilted Fermi surface and also reveal very light quasiparticle masses (less than 1 me), with no significant enhancement due to electronic correlations. We find good agreement between the angular dependence of the observed and calculated de Haas-van Alphen frequencies, taking into account the contribution of different structural domains that form while cooling IrTe2.

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arXiv2014

Field-induced superconducting phase of FeSe in the BCS-BEC cross-over

Fermi systems in the crossover regime between weakly coupled Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) and strongly coupled Bose-Einstein-condensate (BEC) limits are among the most fascinating objects to study the behavior of an assembly of strongly interacting particles. The physics of this crossover has been of considerable interest both in the fields of condensed matter and ultracold atoms. One of the most challenging issue in this regime is the effect of large spin imbalance on a Fermi system under magnetic fields. Although several exotic physical properties have been predicted theoretically, the experimental realization of such an unusual superconducting state has not been achieved so far. Here we show that pure single crystals of superconducting FeSe offer the possibility to enter the previously unexplored realm where the three energies, Fermi energy $\varepsilon_{\rm F}$, superconducting gap $Δ$ and Zeeman energy, become comparable. Through the superfluid response, transport, thermoelectric response, and spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we demonstrate that $\varepsilon_{\rm F}$ of FeSe is extremely small, with the ratio $Δ/\varepsilon_{\rm F}\sim1 (\sim0.3)$ in the electron (hole) band. Moreover, thermal-conductivity measurements give evidence of a distinct phase line below the upper critical field, where the Zeeman energy becomes comparable to $\varepsilon_{\rm F}$ and $Δ$. The observation of this field-induced phase provides insights into previously poorly understood aspects of the highly spin-polarized Fermi liquid in the BCS-BEC crossover regime.

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arXiv2014

Superconducting gap structure of BaFe_2(As_{1-x}P_{x})_2

We present a study of the superconducting gap structure in the iron-pnictide series BaFe2(As1-xPx)2. By measuring the variation of the specific heat as a function of temperature and magnetic field we are able to determine the number and Fermi surface location of the nodes in the superconducting gap. In particular, from measurements of the variation of the specific heat as the magnetic field is rotated in the ab plane of the sample we conclude that the nodes are in the [110] directions. Then from a quantitative analysis of the temperature and field dependence of the specific heat we further conclude that nodes exists on all Fermi surface sheets.

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arXiv2014

Structural origin of the anomalous temperature dependence of the local magnetic moments in the CaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ family of materials

We report a combination of Fe K$β$ x-ray emission spectroscopy and $ab$-intio calculations to investigate the correlation between structural and magnetic degrees of freedom in CaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x} $)$_{2}$. The puzzling temperature behavior of the local moment found in rare earth-doped CaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ [\textit{H. Gretarsson, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 110}, 047003 (2013)}] is also observed in CaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$. We explain this phenomenon based on first-principles calculations with scaled magnetic interaction. One scaling parameter is sufficient to describe quantitatively the magnetic moments in both CaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x} $)$_{2}$ ($x=0.055$) and Ca$_{0.78}% $La$_{0.22}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ at all temperatures. The anomalous growth of the local moments with increasing temperature can be understood from the observed large thermal expansion of the $c$-axis lattice parameter combined with strong magnetoelastic coupling. These effects originate from the strong tendency to form As-As dimers across the Ca layer in the CaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ family of materials. Our results emphasize the dual local-itinerant character of magnetism in Fe pnictides.

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arXiv2014

Direct observation of lattice symmetry breaking at the hidden-order transition in URu2Si2

Since the 1985 discovery of the phase transition at $T_{\rm HO}=17.5$ K in the heavy-fermion metal URu$_2$Si$_2$, neither symmetry change in the crystal structure nor magnetic ordering have been observed, which makes this "hidden order" enigmatic. Some high-field experiments have suggested electronic nematicity which breaks fourfold rotational symmetry, but direct evidence has been lacking for its ground state at zero magnetic field. Here we report on the observation of lattice symmetry breaking from the fourfold tetragonal to twofold orthorhombic structure by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements at zero field, which pins down the space symmetry of the order. Small orthorhombic symmetry-breaking distortion sets in at $T_{\rm HO}$ with a jump, uncovering the weakly first-order nature of the hidden-order transition. This distortion is observed only in ultrapure sample, implying a highly unusual coupling nature between the electronic nematicity and underlying lattice.

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arXiv2014

Disorder-induced topological change of the superconducting gap structure in iron pnictides

In superconductors with unconventional pairing mechanisms, the energy gap in the excitation spectrum often has nodes, which allow quasiparticle excitations at low energies. In many cases, e.g. $d$-wave cuprate superconductors, the position and topology of nodes are imposed by the symmetry, and thus the presence of gapless excitations is protected against disorder. Here we report on the observation of distinct changes in the gap structure of iron-pnictide superconductors with increasing impurity scattering. By the successive introduction of nonmagnetic point defects into BaFe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$ crystals via electron irradiation, we find from the low-temperature penetration depth measurements that the nodal state changes to a nodeless state with fully gapped excitations. Moreover, under further irradiation the gapped state evolves into another gapless state, providing bulk evidence of unconventional sign-changing $s$-wave superconductivity. This demonstrates that the topology of the superconducting gap can be controlled by disorder, which is a strikingly unique feature of iron pnictides.

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arXiv2014

On infrared pseudogap in cuprate and pnictide high-temperature superconductors

We investigate infrared manifestations of the pseudogap in the prototypical cuprate and pnictide superconductors: YBa2Cu3Oy and BaFe2As2 (Ba122) systems. We find remarkable similarities between the spectroscopic features attributable to the pseudogap in these two classes of superconductors. The hallmarks of the pseudogap state in both systems include a weak absorption feature at about 500 cm-1 followed by a featureless continuum between 500 and 1500 cm-1 in the conductivity data and a significant suppression in the scattering rate below 700 - 900 cm-1. The latter result allows us to identify the energy scale associated with the pseudogap $Δ_{PG}$. We find that in the Ba122-based materials the superconductivity-induced changes of the infrared spectra occur in the frequency region below 100 - 200 cm-1, which is much lower than the energy scale of the pseudogap. We performed theoretical analysis of the scattering rate data of the two compounds using the same model which accounts for the effects of the pseudogap and electron-boson coupling. We find that the scattering rate suppression in Ba122-based compounds below $Δ_{PG}$ is solely due to the pseudogap formation whereas the impact of the electron-boson coupling effects is limited to lower frequencies. The magnetic resonance modes used as inputs in our modeling are found to evolve with the development of the pseudogap, suggesting an intimate correlation between the pseudogap and magnetism.

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arXiv2013

Pseudogap formation above the superconducting dome in iron-pnictides

The nature of the pseudogap in high transition temperature (high-Tc) superconducting cuprates has been a major issue in condensed matter physics. It is still unclear whether the high-Tc superconductivity can be universally associated with the pseudogap formation. Here we provide direct evidence of the existence of the pseudogap phase via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in another family of high-Tc superconductor, iron-pnictides. Our results reveal a composition dependent pseudogap formation in the multi-band electronic structure of BaFe2(As1-xPx)2. The pseudogap develops well above the magnetostructural transition for low x, persists above the nonmagnetic superconducting dome for optimal x and is destroyed for x ~ 0.6, thus showing a notable similarity with cuprates. In addition, the pseudogap formation is accompanied by inequivalent energy shifts in xz/yz orbitals of iron atoms, indicative of a peculiar iron orbital ordering which breaks the four-fold rotational symmetry.

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