Iron-based superconductors in high magnetic fields

Here we review measurements of the normal and superconducting state properties of iron-based superconductors using high magnetic fields. We discuss the various physical mechanisms that limit superconductivity in high fields, and the information on the superconducting state that can be extracted from the upper critical field, but also how thermal fluctuations affect its determination by resistivity and specific heat measurements. We also discuss measurements of the normal state electronic structure focusing on measurement of quantum oscillations, particularly the de Haas–van Alphen effect. These results have determined very accurately, the topology of the Fermi surface and the quasi-particle masses in a number of different iron-based superconductors, from the 1111, 122 and 111 families.     

Massless Leggett mode in three-band superconductors with time-reversal-symmetry breaking

The Leggett mode associated with out-of-phase oscillations of the superconducting phase in multiband superconductors usually is heavy due to interband coupling, which makes its excitation and detection difficult. We report on the existence of a massless Leggett mode in three-band superconductors with time-reversal-symmetry breaking. The mass of this Leggett mode is small close to the time-reversal-symmetry-breaking transition and vanishes at the transition point, and thus locates within the smallest superconducting energy gap, which makes it stable and detectable, e.g., by means of the Raman spectroscopy. The thermodynamic consequences of this massless mode and possible realization in iron-based superconductors are also discussed.     

高温超导体的热力学性质的研究

以一个修正的依赖时间的金兹堡朗道理论和层状模型去研究高温超导体的热力学性质.计算各向异性超导体的热容量等一些热力学量,并且得到了超导体的熵、能、热容量的具体表达式,并与最近的实验数据进行比较,结果一致符合 关键词： 热容量 热力学量 高温超导体     

Fluctuating specific heat in two-band superconductors

Theory of thermal fluctuations in two-band superconductors under an essentially homogeneous magnetic field is developed within the framework of the two-band Ginzburg-Landau theory. The fluctuating specific heat is calculated by using the optimized self-consistent perturbation approach and the results are applied to analyze the thermodynamic data of the iron-based superconductors Ba_(1-x)K_xFe_2As_2 with x ~0.4, which have been suggested to have a two-band structure by recent experiments. We estimate the fluctuation strength in this material and find that the specific heat is described well with the Ginzburg number Gi = 4 · 10~(-4). The influence of interband coupling strength is investigated and the result of the two-band Gaussian approximation approach is compared.     

新型铁基超导体角分辨光电子能谱研究

最近发现的新型122结构的铁基超导体掀起了铁基高温超导研究的又一轮热潮.文章利用角分辨光电子能谱实验手段,研究了这类新型铁基材料的电子结构、费米面拓扑和超导能隙.实验结果表明,其在布里渊区中心的能带结构及费米面与其他铁基超导体存在明显差异,并导致嵌套在粒子-空穴通道的费米面消失.另外,在布里渊区边缘的电子型费米面发现了较强的并且有各向同性的超导能隙.这些结果对可能的超导配对机制提出了严格的限制.     

利用单轴压强下的电阻变化研究铁基超导体中的向列涨落

铁基超导体中普遍存在着反铁磁、超导和向列相,因此研究向列相的性质及其与反铁磁、超导的关系对于理解铁基超导体的低能物理及高温超导电性具有非常重要的作用.所谓向列相是指电子态自发破缺了晶格的面内四重旋转对称性而形成的有序态,从而导致样品的某些物理性质出现了两重的各向异性.我们通过自主研发的单轴压强装置,可以在低温下原位改变压强,测量电阻的变化,从而得到向列极化率.本文介绍了我们利用该装置在最近几年研究铁基超导体的向列相和向列涨落所取得的一些成果,包括详细研究了BaFe_(2-x)Ni_xAs_2体系中的向列量子临界点及其量子临界涨落,并提出了基于向列涨落强弱调节的铁基超导体统一相图.这些结果表明,向列相及其涨落与反铁磁和超导均有很强的耦合,对于理解铁基超导体中磁性和超导电性非常关键.     

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study on iron-based superconductors

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy （ARPES） has played an important role in determining the band structure and the superconducting gap structure of iron-based superconductors. In this paper, from the ARPES perspective, we briefly review the main results from our group in recent years on the iron-based superconductors and their parent compounds, and depict our current understanding on the antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in these materials.     

铁基高温超导体电子结构的角分辨光电子能谱研究

铜氧化物超导体和铁基超导体是人类相继发现的两类高温超导家族,它们的高温超导机理是凝聚态物理领域中长期争论但悬而未决的重大问题.对铁基超导体广泛而深入的研究,以及与铜氧化物高温超导体的对比,对于发展新的量子固体理论、解决高温超导机理、探索新的超导体以及超导实际应用都具有重要意义.固体材料的宏观物性由其微观电子结构所决定,揭示高温超导材料的微观电子结构是理解高温超导电性的前提和基础.由于角分辨光电子能谱技术具有独特的同时对能量、动量甚至自旋的分辨能力,已成为探测材料微观电子结构的最直接、最有力的实验手段,在高温超导体的研究中发挥了重要作用.本文综述了在不同体系铁基超导体中费米面拓扑结构、超导能隙大小和对称性、轨道三维性和选择性、电子耦合模式等的揭示和发现,为甄别和提出铁基超导新理论、解决高温超导机理问题提供重要依据.     

铁基超导体的输运性质

在铁基超导体中存在着多种有序态,例如电子向列相和自旋密度波等,从而呈现出丰富的物理现象.输运性质的测量能为认识铁基超导体的低能激发提供极为有用的信息.铁砷超导体由于其电子结构的多能带特性,其电阻率和霍尔系数与温度的关系出现多样性的变化,但在正常态并没有看到有类似铜氧化物超导体的赝能隙打开等奇异行为.在空穴型掺杂的铁基超导体中观测到霍尔系数在低温下变号,对应温区的电阻率上出现一个很宽的鼓包等,可能是从非相干到相干态的转变.热电势行为也表现出与铜氧化物超导体的明显差异,比如铁基超导体的正常态热电势的绝对值反而在最佳掺杂区是最大的,这也许跟强的带间散射有关.能斯特效应表明铁基超导体在Tc以上的超导位相涨落并不明显,与铜氧化物超导体存在明显差别.在铁基超导体上所显示出来的这些反常热电性质,并没有在类似结构的镍基超导体(如LaNiAsO)上观测到,镍基超导体表现得更像一个通常的金属.这些均说明铁基超导体的奇异输运性质与其高温超导电性存在内在的关联,这些因素是建立其超导机理时需要考虑进去的.     

Distinct fermi surface topology and nodeless superconducting gap in a (Tl0.58Rb0.42)Fe1.72Se2 superconductor

High resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements have been carried out to study the electronic structure and superconducting gap of the (Tl0.58Rb0.42)Fe1.72Se2 superconductor with a T(c) = 32 K. The Fermi surface topology consists of two electronlike Fermi surface sheets around the Γ point which is distinct from that in all other iron-based superconductors reported so far. The Fermi surface around the M point shows a nearly isotropic superconducting gap of ～12 meV. The large Fermi surface near the Γ point also shows a nearly isotropic superconducting gap of ～15 meV, while no superconducting gap opening is clearly observed for the inner tiny Fermi surface. Our observed new Fermi surface topology and its associated superconducting gap will provide key insights and constraints into the understanding of the superconductivity mechanism in iron-based superconductors.     

Unconventional superconductivity in CeIrIn5 and CeCoIn5: specific heat and thermal conductivity studies

Low temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements on the ambient pressure heavy fermion superconductors CeIrIn5 and CeCoIn5 reveal power law temperature dependences of these quantities below T(c). The low temperature specific heat in both CeIrIn5 and CeCoIn5 includes T2 terms, consistent with the presence of nodes in the superconducting energy gap. The thermal conductivity data present a T-linear term consistent with the universal limit (CeIrIn5), and a low temperature T3 variation in the clean limit (CeCoIn5), also in accord with prediction for an unconventional superconductor with lines of nodes.     

Investigate the effect of anisotropic order parameter on the specific heat of anisotropic two-band superconductors

The effect of anisotropic order parameter on the specific heat of anisotropic two-band superconductors in BCS weak-coupling limit is investigated. An analytical specific heat jump and the numerical specific heat are shown by using anisotropic order parameters, and the electron–phonon interaction and non-electron–phonon interaction. The two models of anisotropic order parameters are used for numerical calculation that we find little effect on the numerical results. The specific heat jump of MgB₂, Lu₂Fe₃Si₅ and Nb₃Sn superconductors can fit well with both of them. By comparing the experimental data with overall range of temperature, the best fit is Nb₃Sn, MgB₂, and Lu₂Fe₃Si₅ superconductors.     

Variety of c-axis collective excitations in layered multigap superconductors

We present a dynamical theory for the phase differences along a stacked direction of intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJ's) in layered multigap superconductors, motivated by the discovery of highly anisotropic iron-based superconductors with thick perovskite-type blocking layers. The dynamical equations describing ac and dc intrinsic Josephson effects peculiar to multigap IJJ's are derived, and collective Leggett mode excitations in addition to the Josephson plasma established in single-gap IJJ's are predicted. The dispersion relations of their collective modes are explicitly displayed, and the remarkable peculiarity of the Leggett mode is demonstrated.     

自旋涨落与非常规超导配对

铜氧化物高温超导、铁基高温超导、重费米子超导和κ-型层状有机超导等超导体的超导态都与磁性有序态相邻,且超导能隙在动量空间一般存在变号.因此,这些超导体的超导机理被认为有别于常规BCS超导中的电子交换声子导致的各向同性s-波配对.在这些非常规超导中,自旋涨落被认为是导致电子形成库珀对的主要起源之一.本文主要以铜基和铁基高...     

Pairing symmetries in cuprates: A Gorkov formalism

Inspite of the direct evidence for Cooper pairing in the cuprates as in conventional superconductors, the pairing symmetry in the cuprate superconductors is still considered to be a controversial and a highly debatable topic. The microscopic equations appropriate for these new materials, essentially the yttrium based compounds, are discussed following Gorkov's formalism for the conventional superconductors. Various types of symmetry of the pairing parameter are considered. In this study we consider the anisotropic nature of the gap parameter to write the mean-field equations of the cuprates. We observe that the symmetry of the potential is fundamental in deciding the nature of the anisotropy in the gap parameter.     

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.     

Specific heat in superconductors

Specific heat is a powerful tool to investigate the physical properties of condensed materials. Superconducting state is achieved through the condensation of paired electrons, namely, the Cooper pairs. The condensed Cooper pairs have lower entropy compared with that of electrons in normal metal, thus specific heat is very useful in detecting the low lying quasiparticle excitations of the superconducting condensate and the pairing symmetry of the superconducting gap. In this brief overview, we will give an introduction to the specific heat investigation of the physical properties of superconductors.We show the data obtained in cuprate and iron based superconductors to reveal the pairing symmetry of the order parameter.     

Crystal chemistry and structural design of iron-based superconductors

The second class of high-temperature superconductors （HTSCs）, iron-based pnictides and chalcogenides, necessarily contain Fe2X2 （＂X＂ refers to a pnictogen or a chalcogen element） layers, just like the first class of HTSCs which possess the essential CuO2 sheets. So far, dozens of iron-based HTSCs, classified into nine groups, have been discovered. In this article, the crystal-chemistry aspects of the known iron-based superconductors are reviewed and summarized by employing ＂hard and soft acids and bases （HSAB）＂ concept. Based on these understandings, we propose an alternative route to exploring new iron-based superconductors via rational structural design.     

Thermal conductivity of the pyrochlore superconductor KOs2O6: strong electron correlations and fully gapped superconductivity

To elucidate the nature of the superconducting ground state of the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore KOs2O6 (Tc=9.6 K), the thermal conductivity was measured down to low temperatures (approximately Tc/100). We found that the quasiparticle mean free path is strikingly enhanced below a transition at Tp=7.8 K, indicating enormous electron inelastic scattering in the normal state. In magnetic fields, the conduction at T-->0 K is nearly constant up to approximately 0.4Hc2, in contrast with the rapid growth expected for superconductors with an anisotropic gap. This unambiguously indicates a fully gapped superconductivity, in contrast with previous studies. These results highlight that KOs2O6 is unique among superconductors with strong electron correlations.