Kunihiro Kihou

Effect of Structural Parameters on Superconductivity in Fluorine-Free LnFeAsO1-y (Ln = La, Nd)

The crystal structure of LnFeAsO 1- y (Ln = La, Nd) has been studied by the powder neutron diffraction technique. The superconducting phase diagram of NdFeAsO 1- y is established as a function of oxygen content which is determined by Rietveld refinement. The small As–Fe bond length suggests that As and Fe atoms are connected covalently. FeAs 4 -tetrahedrons transform toward a regular shape with increasing oxygen deficiency. Superconducting transition temperatures seem to attain maximum values for regular FeAs 4 -tetrahedrons.

Octet-Line Node Structure of Superconducting Order Parameter in KFe2As2

An Eight-Noded Monster In superconductors, electrons are bound into pairs, and the exact form of that pairing and the resulting energy gap can vary, depending on the details of the electron-electron interaction and the band structure of the material. The energy gaps of the recently discovered iron-based superconductors exhibit a variety of pairing functions. KFe2As2 has been suggested to have a d-wave gap, similar to cuprate superconductors. Okazaki et al. (p. 1314) use laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to map out the superconducting gap on three Fermi surfaces (FS) of the compound. They find a different gap structure on each, with the middle FS gap vanishing at eight distinct positions (nodes). It appears that the gap respects the tetragonal symmetry of the crystal, indicating (although the details may vary) the all iron-based superconductors have an extended s-wave–symmetric pairing—a finding that will help understanding of unconventional superconductivity. Laser-based photoemission spectroscopy is used to map out the pairing gap of an iron-based superconductor. In iron-pnictide superconductivity, the interband interaction between the hole and electron Fermi surfaces (FSs) is believed to play an important role. However, KFe2As2 has three zone-centered hole FSs and no electron FS but still exhibits superconductivity. Our ultrahigh-resolution laser angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy unveils that KFe2As2 is a nodal s-wave superconductor with highly unusual FS-selective multi-gap structure: a nodeless gap on the inner FS, an unconventional gap with “octet-line nodes” on the middle FS, and an almost-zero gap on the outer FS. This gap structure may arise from the frustration between competing pairing interactions on the hole FSs causing the eightfold sign reversal. Our results suggest that the A1g superconducting symmetry is universal in iron-pnictides, in spite of the variety of gap functions.

Structural Quantum Criticality and Superconductivity in Iron-Based Superconductor Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2

We investigated the elastic properties of the iron-based superconductor Ba(Fe 1- x Co x ) 2 As 2 with eight Co concentrations. The elastic constant C 66 shows a large elastic softening associated with structural phase transition. C 66 was analyzed on the basis of the localized and itinerant pictures of Fe-3d electrons, which shows a strong electron–lattice coupling and a possible mass enhancement in this system. The results are similar to those of unconventional superconductors, where the properties of the system are governed by quantum fluctuations associated with the zero-temperature critical point of long-range order, namely, the quantum critical point (QCP). In this system, the inverse of C 66 behaves just like the magnetic susceptibility in magnetic QCP systems. Although the QCPs of these existing superconductors are all ascribed to antiferromagnetism, our systematic studies on the canonical iron-based superconductor Ba(Fe 1- x Co x ) 2 As 2 have revealed that there is a signature of “structural quan...

Universal Heat Conduction in the Iron Arsenide Superconductor KFe2As2: Evidence of a d-Wave State

The thermal conductivity κ of the iron arsenide superconductor KFe2As2 was measured down to 50 mK for a heat current parallel and perpendicular to the tetragonal c axis. A residual linear term at T→0, κ(0)/T is observed for both current directions, confirming the presence of nodes in the superconducting gap. Our value of κ(0)/T in the plane is equal to that reported by Dong et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 087005 (2010)] for a sample whose residual resistivity ρ(0) was 10 times larger. This independence of κ(0)/T on impurity scattering is the signature of universal heat transport, a property of superconducting states with symmetry-imposed line nodes. This argues against an s-wave state with accidental nodes. It favors instead a d-wave state, an assignment consistent with five additional properties: the magnitude of the critical scattering rate Γ(c) for suppressing T(c) to zero; the magnitude of κ(0)/T, and its dependence on current direction and on magnetic field; the temperature dependence of κ(T).

Possible Multiple Gap Superconductivity with Line Nodes in Heavily Hole-Doped Superconductor KFe2As2 Studied by 75As Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance and Specific Heat

We report the 75 As nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) and specific heat measurements of the heavily hole-doped superconductor KFe 2 As 2 (superconducting transition temperature T c ≃3.5 K). The spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/ T 1 in the superconducting state exhibits a gradual temperature dependence with no coherence peak below T c . The quasiparticle specific heat C QP / T shows a small jump, which is about 30% of the electronic specific heat coefficient just below T c . The C QP / T suggests the existence of low-energy quasiparticle excitation at the lowest measurement temperature T =0.4 K≃ T c /10. The T dependences of 1/ T 1 and C QP / T can be explained by a multiple nodal superconducting gap scenario rather than by a multiple fully gapped s ± -wave scenario determined using simple gap analysis.

Anisotropic Energy Gaps of Iron-Based Superconductivity from Intraband Quasiparticle Interference in LiFeAs

Uneven Gap Electron pairs that are responsible for the phenomenon of superconductivity can only be broken by investing a finite amount of energy, called the energy gap. The size of the gap may depend on the position on the Fermi surface; in cuprates, the gap completely disappears at certain points. What happens in the pnictide superconductors is still a subject of debate, not least because there appear to be differences between the different pnictide families. Allan et al. (p. 563) used scanning tunneling spectroscopy to study the compound LiFeAs. The gap was mapped on three of the five bands on which the Fermi surface resides and was found to be anisotropic in momentum space. The energy needed to break up electron pairs in a pnictide superconductor depends on position on the Fermi surface. If strong electron-electron interactions between neighboring Fe atoms mediate the Cooper pairing in iron-pnictide superconductors, then specific and distinct anisotropic superconducting energy gaps Δi(k⃗) should appear on the different electronic bands i. Here, we introduce intraband Bogoliubov quasiparticle scattering interference (QPI) techniques for determination of Δik⃗. in such materials, focusing on lithium iron arsenide (LiFeAs). We identify the three hole-like bands assigned previously as γ, α2, and α1, and we determine the anisotropy, magnitude, and relative orientations of their Δik⃗. These measurements will advance quantitative theoretical analysis of the mechanism of Cooper pairing in iron-based superconductivity.

Inverse iron isotope effect on the transition temperature of the (Ba,K)Fe2As2 superconductor.

We report that the (Ba,K)Fe(2)As(2) superconductor (transition temperature, T(c) approximately 38 K) has an inverse iron isotope coefficient alpha(Fe) = -0.18(3) (where T(c) approximately M(-alphaFe) and M is the iron isotope mass); i.e., the sample containing the large iron isotope mass depicts a higher T(c). Systematic inverse shifts in T(c) were clearly observed between the samples using three types of Fe isotopes ((54)Fe, natural Fe, and (57)Fe). This indicates the first evidence of the inverse isotope effect in high-T(c) superconductors. This anomalous mass dependence on T(c) implies an exotic coupling mechanism in Fe-based superconductors.

Fermi Surface and Mass Enhancement in KFe2As2 from de Haas-van Alphen Effect Measurements

We report on a band structure calculation and de Haas–van Alphen measurements of KFe 2 As 2 . Three cylindrical Fermi surfaces are found. Effective masses of electrons range from 6 to 18 m e , m e being the free electron mass. Remarkable discrepancies between the calculated and observed Fermi surface areas and the large mass enhancement (\({\gtrsim}3\)) highlight the importance of electronic correlations in determining the electronic structures of iron pnicitide superconductors.

New-Structure-Type Fe-Based Superconductors: CaAFe4As4 (A = K, Rb, Cs) and SrAFe4As4 (A = Rb, Cs)

Fe-based superconductors have attracted research interest because of their rich structural variety, which is due to their layered crystal structures. Here we report the new-structure-type Fe-based superconductors CaAFe4As4 (A = K, Rb, Cs) and SrAFe4As4 (A = Rb, Cs), which can be regarded as hybrid phases between AeFe2As2 (Ae = Ca, Sr) and AFe2As2. Unlike solid solutions such as (Ba(1-x)K(x))Fe2As2 and (Sr(1-x)Na(x))Fe2As2, Ae and A do not occupy crystallographically equivalent sites because of the large differences between their ionic radii. Rather, the Ae and A layers are inserted alternately between the Fe2As2 layers in the c-axis direction in AeAFe4As4 (AeA1144). The ordering of the Ae and A layers causes a change in the space group from I4/mmm to P4/mmm, which is clearly apparent in powder X-ray diffraction patterns. AeA1144 is the first known structure of this type among not only Fe-based superconductors but also other materials. AeA1144 is formed as a line compound, and therefore, each AeA1144 has its own superconducting transition temperature of approximately 31-36 K.

Strong-Coupling Spin-Singlet Superconductivity with Multiple Full Gaps in Hole-Doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 Probed by 57Fe-NMR

We present 57 Fe-NMR measurements of the novel normal and superconducting-state characteristics of the iron-arsenide superconductor Ba 0.6 K 0.4 Fe 2 As 2 ( T c = 38 K). In the normal state, the measured Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/ T 1 ) demonstrate the development of wave-number ( q )-dependent spin fluctuations, except at q = 0, which may originate from the nesting across the disconnected Fermi surfaces. In the superconducting state, the spin component in the 57 Fe-Knight shift decreases to almost zero at low temperatures, evidencing a spin-singlet superconducting state. The 57 Fe-1/ T 1 results are totally consistent with a s ± -wave model with multiple full gaps in the strong coupling regime. We demonstrate that the respective 1/ T 1 data for Ba 0.6 K 0.4 Fe 2 As 2 and LaFeAsO 0.7 , which seemingly follow a T 5 - and a T 3 -like behaviors below T c , are consistently explained in terms of this model only by changing the size of the superconducting gap.