Electronic phase separation in the slightly underdoped iron pnictide superconductor Ba1-xKxFe₂As₂

Park, J. T.; Inosov, D. S.; Niedermayer, Ch.; Sun, G. L.; Haug, D.; Christensen, N. B.; Dinnebier, R.; Boris, A. V.; Drew, Alan J.; Schulz, Leander; Shapoval, T.; Wolff, U.; Neu, V.; Yang, Xiaoping; Lin, C. T.; Keimer, B.; Hinkov, V.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.117006

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Journal article

Electronic phase separation in the slightly underdoped iron pnictide superconductor Ba_1-xK_xFe₂As₂

Park, J. T. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Inosov, D. S. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Niedermayer, Ch. Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETHZ & PSI, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
Sun, G. L. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Haug, D. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Christensen, N. B. Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETHZ & PSI, Villigen PSI, Switzerland - Materials Research Department, Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark - Nano-Science Center, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Dinnebier, R. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Boris, A. V. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Drew, Alan J. Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland - Physics Department, Queen Mary, University of London, United Kingdom
Schulz, Leander Department of Physics and Fribourg Center for Nanomaterials, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Shapoval, T. IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, Germany
Wolff, U. IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, Germany
Neu, V. IFW Dresden, Institute for Metallic Materials, Germany
Yang, Xiaoping Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Lin, C. T. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Keimer, B. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany
Hinkov, V. Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany

20.04.2009

Published in:

Physical Review Letters. - 2009, vol. 102, no. 111, p. 117006

English Here we present a combined study of the slightly underdoped novel pnictide superconductor Ba_1-xK_xFe₂As₂ by means of x-ray powder diffraction, neutron scattering, muon-spin rotation (µSR), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Static antiferromagnetic order sets in below T_m≈70 K as inferred from the neutron scattering and zero-field-µSR data. Transverse-field µSR below T_c shows a coexistence of magnetically ordered and nonmagnetic states, which is also confirmed by MFM imaging. We explain such coexistence by electronic phase separation into antiferromagnetic and superconducting- or normal-state regions on a lateral scale of several tens of nanometers. Our findings indicate that such mesoscopic phase separation can be considered an intrinsic property of some iron pnictide superconductors.

Faculty

Faculté des sciences et de médecine

Department

Département de Physique

Language