Local Orthorhombicity in the Magnetic C4 Phase of the Hole-Doped Iron-Arsenide Superconductor Sr1-xNaxFe2As2
- Author(s): Frandsen, BA
- Taddei, KM
- Yi, M
- Frano, A
- Guguchia, Z
- Yu, R
- Si, Q
- Bugaris, DE
- Stadel, R
- Osborn, R
- Rosenkranz, S
- Chmaissem, O
- Birgeneau, RJ
- et al.
Published Web Location
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.187001Abstract
© 2017 American Physical Society. We report on temperature-dependent pair distribution function measurements of Sr1-xNaxFe2As2, an iron-based superconductor system that contains a magnetic phase with reentrant tetragonal symmetry, known as the magnetic C4 phase. Quantitative refinements indicate that the instantaneous local structure in the C4 phase comprises fluctuating orthorhombic regions with a length scale of ∼2 nm, despite the tetragonal symmetry of the average static structure. Additionally, local orthorhombic fluctuations exist on a similar length scale at temperatures well into the paramagnetic tetragonal phase. These results highlight the exceptionally large nematic susceptibility of iron-based superconductors and have significant implications for the magnetic C4 phase and the neighboring C2 and superconducting phases.
Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC Academic Senate's Open Access Policy. Let us know how this access is important for you.