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.

The c—Axis Infrared Conductivity of a dx^2—y^2— Wave Superconductor with the Hopping Assisted by the Spin Fluctuations

A theory of the c-axis infrared conductivity of a dx2-y2-wave superconductor due to the competition between the interlayer direct hopping and the hopping assisted by the spin fluctuations has been developed. The prediction of our theory captures the main feature of the experiment. Thus we argue that the anomalous behavior of the c-axis infrared conductivity of the underdoped cuprates in superconducting state may be properly understood within the theory.

Exploring charge and spin fluctuations in infinite-layer cuprate SrCuO_(2)from a phonon perspective

The infinite-layer cuprate ACu O_(2)(A=Ca,Sr,Ba)possesses the simplest crystal structure among numerous cuprate superconductors and can serve as a prototypical system to explore the unconventional superconductivity.Based on the first-principles electronic structure calculations,we have studied the electronic and magnetic properties of the infinite-layer cuprate SrCuO_(2)from a phonon perspective.We find that interesting fluctuations of charges,electrical dipoles,and local magnetic moments can be induced by the atomic displacements of phonon modes in SrCuO_(2)upon the hole doping.Among all optical phonon modes of SrCuO_(2)in the antiferromagnetic Néel state,only the A_(1g)mode that involves the full-breathing O vibrations along the Cu-O bonds can cause significant fluctuations of local magnetic moments on O atoms and dramatic charge redistributions between Cu and O atoms.Notably,due to the atomic displacements of the A_(1g)mode,both the charge fluctuations on Cu and the electrical dipoles on O show a dome-like evolution with increasing hole doping,quite similar to the experimentally observed behavior of the superconducting T_(c);in comparison,the fluctuations of local magnetic moments on O display a monotonic enhancement along with the hole doping.Further analyses indicate that around the optimal doping,there exists a large softening in the frequency of the A_(1g)phonon mode and a van Hove singularity in the electronic structure close to the Fermi level,suggesting potential electron-phonon coupling.Our work reveals the important role of the full-breathing O phonon mode playing in the infinite-layer SrCuO_(2),which may provide new insights in understanding the cuprate superconductivity.

High-T_c superconductivity in FeSe at high pressure:Dominant hole carriers and enhanced spin fluctuations

With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China,a collaborative study led by Prof.Cheng Jinguang(程金光)from the Institute of Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences found evidence for the presence of hole pockets and the enhanced spin fluctuations in the pressure-induced high-Tcsuperconductivity phase of FeSe,which was published

Spin order and dynamics in the topological rare-earth germanide semimetals

The REAl(Si,Ge)(RE=rare earth)family,known to break both the inversion-and time-reversal symmetries,represents one of the most suitable platforms for investigating the interplay between correlated-electron phenomena and topologically nontrivial bands.Here,we report on systematic magnetic,transport,and muon-spin rotation and relaxation(μSR)measurements on(Nd,Sm)AlGe single crystals,which exhibit antiferromagnetic(AFM)transitions at T_(N)=6.1 and 5.9 K,respectively.In addition,NdAlGe undergoes also an incommensurate-to-commensurate ferrimagnetic transition at 4.5 K.Weak transverse-fieldμSR measurements confirm the AFM transitions,featuring a~90%magnetic volume fraction.Zero-field(ZF)μSR measurements reveal a more disordered internal field distribution in NdAlGe than in SmAlGe,reflected in a larger transverse muon-spin relaxation rateλTat T<<T_(N).This may be due to the complex magnetic structure of NdAlGe,which undergoes a series of metamagnetic transitions in an external magnetic field,while SmAlGe shows only a robust AFM order.In NdAlGe,the topological Hall effect(THE)appears between the first and the second metamagnetic transitions for H‖c,while it is absent in SmAlGe.Such THE in NdAlGe is most likely attributed to the field-induced topological spin textures.The longitudinal muon-spin relaxation rateλL,diverges near the AFM order,followed by a clear drop at T<T_N.In the magnetically ordered state,spin fluctuations are significantly stronger in NdAlGe than in SmAlGe.In general,our longitudinal-fieldμSR data indicate vigorous spin fluctuations in NdAlGe,thus providing valuable insights into the origin of THE and of the possible topological spin textures in REAl(Si,Ge)Weyl semimetals.

Chemical Oxidation of La2CuO4 Epitaxial Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Chemical oxidation is used to induce superconductivity in La2CuO4 expitaxial thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition technique. Details about the influence of oxidation time on structural, surface morphology, Raman spectra, and electrical properties have been investigated. The results convince that successful uptake of oxygen occurs in the oxidized films, and the content of the inserted oxygen increases with increasing oxidation interval. The possible mechanism for the excess oxygen insertion into the film is also discussed.

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.

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.

Electrical transport properties of Fe Se single crystal under high magnetic field

Understanding the normal electronic state is crucial for unveiling the mechanism of unconventional superconductivity(SC). In this paper, by applying a magnetic field of up to 37T on FeSe single crystals, we could reveal the normal-state transport properties after SC was completely suppressed. The normal-state resistivity exhibited a Fermi liquid behavior at low temperatures. Large orbital magnetoresistance(MR) was observed in the nematic state with H//c, whereas MR was negligible with H//ab. The magnitude of the orbital MR showed an unusual reduction, and Kohler’s rule was severely violated below 10-25 K;these were attributable to spin fluctuations. The results indicated that spin fluctuations played a paramount role in the normalstate transport properties of FeSe albeit the Fermi liquid nature was at low temperature.