Electronic Phase Separation in the Slightly Underdoped Iron Pnictide Superconductor Ba1−xKxFe2As2
J. T. Park, D. S. Inosov, Ch. Niedermayer, G. L. Sun, D. Haug, N. B. Christensen, R. Dinnebier, A. V. Boris, A. J. Drew, L. Schulz, T. Shapoval, U. Wolff, V. Neu, Xiaoping Yang, C. T. Lin, B. Keimer, V. Hinkov
DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.117006 · Physical Review Letters
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Abstract
Here we present a combined study of the slightly underdoped novel pnictide superconductor Ba1−xKxFe2As2 by means of x-ray powder diffraction, neutron scattering, muon-spin rotation (μSR), and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Static antiferromagnetic order sets in below Tm≈70 K as inferred from the neutron scattering and zero-field-μSR data. Transverse-field μSR below Tc 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.
Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval
| Formula | Reported Tc (K) | Pressure (GPa) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ba1-xKxFe2As2 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula. | 32 | Pressure unresolved | onset |
| Ba1-xKxFe2As2 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula. | 26 | Pressure unresolved | unknown |
| LaFeAsO1-xFx Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula. | — | Pressure not reported | unknown |
| CeFeAsO1-xFx Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula. | — | Pressure not reported | unknown |
| SmFeAsO1-xFx Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula. | — | Pressure not reported | unknown |
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