Theory of electron nematic order in LaFeAsO

By Chen Fang, H. Yao, Wei-Feng Tsai, Jiangping Hu, Steven A. Kivelson. 2008

397 citations recorded by the source corpus.

We study a spin $S$ quantum Heisenberg model on the Fe lattice of the rare-earth oxypnictide superconductors. Using both large $S$ and large $N$ methods, we show that this model exhibits a sequence of two phase transitions: from a high temperature symmetric phase to a narrow region of intermediate ``nematic'' phase, and then to a low temperature spin ordered phase. Identifying phases by their broken symmetries, these phases correspond precisely to the sequence of structural (tetragonal to monoclinic) and magnetic transitions that have been recently revealed in neutron scattering studies of LaOFeAs. The structural transition can thus be identified with the existence of incipient (``fluctuating'') magnetic order.

Subfields: Condensed Matter Physics, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/89a5dada6b351664dc8678660a3cd053d4e043ee

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Condensed Matter Physics

1. E. Dagotto
2. R. Fernandes
3. J. Schmalian
4. P. Dai
5. A. Chubukov
6. Jiangping Hu
7. Zhi-xun Shen
8. P. Hirschfeld

In Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

1. E. Dagotto
2. R. Fernandes
3. P. Dai
4. J. Schmalian
5. A. Chubukov
6. Jiangping Hu
7. Zhi-xun Shen
8. L. Degiorgi

Citations in the corpus

• Nematic order in iron superconductors - who is in the driver's seat? (2013, background): “This additional tetragonal symmetry breaking enhances the order parameter manifold to O(3)× Z2 [28, 29].”
• In-plane electronic anisotropy of underdoped ‘122’ Fe-arsenide superconductors revealed by measurements of detwinned single crystals (2011, background): “…J1 and J2 in the regime J2 0.5J1, both quantum and thermal fluctuations contribute a biquadratic term to the effective spin Hamiltonian which breaks the perfect frustration of the square lattice, and introduces an Ising nematic order parameter (Chandra et al 1990, Fang et al 2008, Xu et al 2008).”
• Magnetism and its microscopic origin in iron-based high-temperature superconductors (2012, background): “magnetic, transport, and superconducting properties in these materials [45, 46].”