Spin fluctuations and unconventional superconducting pairing in iron-based superconductors

In this article, we review the recent theoretical works on the spin fluctuations and superconductivity in iron-based superconductors. Using the fluctuation exchange approximation and multi-orbital tight-binding models, we study the char- acteristics of the spin fluctuations and the symmetries of the superconducting gaps for different iron-based superconductors. We explore the systems with both electron-like and hole-like Fermi surfaces （FS） and the systems with only the electron-like FS. We argue that the spin-fluctuation theories are successful in explaining at least the essential part of the problems, indicating that the spin fluctuation is the common origin of superconductivity in iron-based superconductors.

Review of nuclear magnetic resonance studies on iron-based superconductors

The newly discovered iron-based superconductors have triggered renewed enormous research interest in the condensed matter physics community. Nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） is a low-energy local probe for studying strongly correlated electrons, and particularly important for high-Tc superconductors. In this paper, we review NMR studies on the structural transition, antiferromagnetic order, spin fluctuations, and superconducting properties of several iron-based high-Tc superconductors, including LaFeAsOl_xFx, LaFeAsOl_x, BaFe2As2, Bal_xKxFe2As2, Cao.23Nao.67Fe2As2, BaFe2（Asl_xPx）2, Ba（Fel_xRux）2As2, Ba（Fel_xCox）2As2, Lil＋xFeAs, LiFel_xCoxAs, NaFeAs, NaFel_xCoxAs, KyFe2_xSe2, and （T1,Rb）yFe2_xSe2.

Photoemission study of iron-based superconductor

The iron-based superconductivity （IBSC） is a great challenge in correlated system. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy （ARPES） provides electronic structure of the IBSCs, the pairing strength, and the order parameter symmetry. Here, we briefly review the recent progress in IBSCs and focus on the results from ARPES. The ARPES study shows the electronic structure of ＂122＂, ＂111＂, ＂11＂, and ＂122＂＂ families of IBSCs. It has been agreed that the IBSCs are unconventional superconductors in strong coupling region. The order parameter symmetry basically follows s form with considerable out-of-plane contribution.

A possible family of Ni-based high temperature superconductors

We suggest that a family of Ni-based compounds, which contain [Ni_2M_2O]~2à(M = chalcogen) layers with an antiperovskite structure constructed by mixed-anion Ni complexes, Ni M_4O_2, can be potential high temperature superconductors(high-Tc) upon doping or applying pressure. The layer structures have been formed in many other transitional metal compounds such as La_2B_2Se_2O_3(B = Mn, Fe, Co). For the Ni-based compounds, we predict that the parental compounds host collinear antiferromagnetic states similar to those in iron-based high temperature superconductors. The electronic physics near Fermi energy is controlled by two egd-orbitals with completely independent in-plane kinematics. We predict that the superconductivity in this family is characterized by strong competition between extended s-wave and d-wave pairing symmetries.

A possible new family of unconventional high temperature superconductors

We suggest a new family of Co[Ni-based materials that may host unconventional high temperature superconductivity （high-To）. These materials carry layered square lattices with each layer being formed by vertex-shared transition metal tetrahedra cation-anion complexes. The electronic physics in these materials is determined by the two dimensional layer and is fully attributed to the three near degenerated t2g d-orbitals close to a d7 filling configuration in the d-shell of CoJNi atoms. The electronic structure meets the necessary criteria for unconventional high Tc materials proposed recently by us to unify the two known high-Tc families, cuprates and iron-based superconductors. We predict that they host superconducting states with a d-wave pairing symmetry with Tc potentially higher than those of iron-based superconductors. These materials, if realized, can be a fertile new ground to study strongly correlated electronic Physics and provide decisive evidence for superconducting pairing mechanism.

Nodal superconducting gap in LiFeP revealed by NMR:Contrast with LiFeAs

Identifying the uniqueness of FeP-based superconductors may shed new lights on the mechanism of superconductivity in iron-pnictides.Here,we report nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) studies on LiFeP and LiFeAs which have the same crystal structure but different pnictogen atoms.The NMR spectrum is sensitive to inhomogeneous magnetic fields in the vortex state and can provide the information on the superconducting pairing symmetry through the temperature dependence of London penetration depth λ_(L).We find that λ_(L) saturates below T~0.2 T_(C) in LiFeAs,where T_(C) is the superconducting transition temperature,indicating nodeless superconducting gaps.Furthermore,by using a two-gaps model,we simulate the temperature dependence of λ_(L) and obtain the superconducting gaps of LiFeAs,as Δ_(1)=1.2 kB T_(C) and Δ_(2)=2.8 k_(B)T_(C),in agreement with previous result from spin-lattice relaxation.For LiFeP,in contrast,λ_(L) does not show any saturation down to T~0.03 T_(C),indicating nodes in the superconducting gap function.Finally,we demonstrate that strong spin fluctuations with diffusive characteristics exist in LiFeP,as in some cuprate high temperature superconductors.

铁磷族化合物及其超导电性(英文)

氟掺杂的LaFeAsO中26K超导电性的发现极大地促进了凝聚态物理的发展。在短短的两年时间中,已经有过千篇文章发表,已经有七种新结构被发现,超导转变温度也被迅速提升到了55～57K。此外,在超导机理方面这类化合物也已经被认定属于非常规,而反铁磁自旋涨落被认为是导致超导配对的媒介。从材料和物理学的角度对这类化合物的性质和超导机理给出了简单的综述。还对未来的研究及应用给出了一些展望。

A brief review on/μSR studies of unconventional Fe-and Cr-based superconductors

Muon spin relaxation/rotation(μSR) is a vital technique for probing the superconducting gap structure, pairing symmetry and time reversal symmetry breaking, enabling an understanding of the mechanisms behind the unconventional superconductivity of cuprates and Fe-based high-temperature superconductors, which remain a puzzle. Very recently double layered Fe-based superconductors having quasi-2 D crystal structures and Cr-based superconductors with a quasi-1D structure have drawn considerable attention. Here we present a brief review of the characteristics of a few selected Fe-and Cr-based superconducting materials and highlight some of the major outstanding problems, with an emphasis on the superconducting pairing symmetries of these materials. We focus on μSR studies of the newly discovered superconductors ACa_2Fe_4As_4F_2(A = K, Rb, and Cs), ThFeAsN, and A_2Cr_3As_3(A = K, Cs), which were used to determine the superconducting gap structures, the presence of spin fluctuations, and to search for time reversal symmetry breaking in the superconducting states. We also briefly discuss the results of μSR investigations of the superconductivity in hole and electron doped BaFe_2As_2.

Predicting diamond-like Co-based chalcogenides as unconventional high temperature superconductors

We predict Co-based chalcogenides with a diamond-like structure can host unconventional high temperature superconductivity(high-Tc). The essential electronic physics in these materials stems from the Co layers with each layer being formed by vertex-shared CoA_4(A=S, Se, Te) tetrahedra complexes, a material genome proposed recently by us to host potential unconventional high-Tcclose to a d7 filling configuration in 3 d transition metal compounds. We calculate the magnetic ground states of different transition metal compounds with this structure. It is found that(Mn, Fe, Co)-based compounds all have a G-type antiferromagnetic(AFM) insulating ground state while Ni-based compounds are paramagnetic metal.The AFM interaction is the largest in the Co-based compounds as the three t2 gorbitals all strongly participate in AFM superexchange interactions. The abrupt quenching of the magnetism from the Co to Ni-based compounds is very similar to those from Fe to Co-based pnictides in which a C-type AFM state appears in the Fe-based ones but vanishes in the Co-based ones. This behavior can be considered as an electronic signature of the high-Tcgene. Upon doping, as we predicted before, this family of Co-based compounds favor a strong d-wave pairing superconducting state.

Comparison of band structure and superconductivity in FeSe_(0.5)Te_(0.5) and FeS

The isovalent iron chalcogenides, FeSe0.5Te0.5 and FeS, share similar lattice structures but behave very differently in superconducting properties. We study the underlying mechanism theoretically. By first principle calculations and tight-binding fitting, we find the spectral weight of the dX2-Y2 orbital changes remarkably in these compounds. While there are both electron and hole pockets in FeSe0.5Te0.5 and FeS, a small hole pocket with a mainly dX2-Y2 character is absent in FeS. We find the spectral weights of dX2-Y2 orbital change remarkably, which contribute to electron and hole pockets in FeSe0.5Te0.5 but only to electron pockets in FeS. We then perform random-phase-approximation and unbiased singular-mode functional renormalization group calculations to investigate possible superconducting instabilities that may be triggered by electron-electron interactions on top of such bare band structures. For FeSe0.5Te0.5, we find a fully gapped s-wave pairing that can be associated with spin fluctuations connecting electron and hole pockets. For FeS, however, a nodal dxy （or dx2-y2 in an unfolded Broullin zone） is favorable and can be related to spin fluctuations connecting the electron pockets around the corner of the Brillouin zone. Apart from the difference in chacogenide elements, we propose the main source of the difference is from the dX2-Y2 orbital, which tunes the Fermi surface nesting vector and then influences the dominant pairing symmetry.

铁基高温超导体的超导能隙和自旋涨落：核磁共振研究

文章介绍了利用核磁共振法对铁基高温超导体的研究结果.笔者研究组断定铁基超导是自旋单态配对,并首先发现超导多能隙的存在.正常态的反铁磁自旋涨落在自旋空间是各向异性的,它与超导的关系,是人们关心的热点之一.