Nonlinear uniaxial pressure dependence of the resistivity in Sr_(1-x)Ba_xFe_(1.97)Ni_(0.03)As_2

Nematic order and its fluctuations have been widely found in iron-based superconductors. Above the nematic order transition temperature, the resistivity shows a linear relationship with the uniaxial pressure or strain along the nematic direction and the normalized slope is thought to be associated with nematic susceptibility. Here we systematically studied the uniaxial pressure dependence of the resistivity in Sr_(1-x)Ba_xFe_(1.97)Ni_(0.03)As_2, where nonlinear behaviors are observed near the nematic transition temperature. We show that it can be well explained by the Landau theory for the second-order phase transitions considering that the external field is not zero. The effect of the coupling between the isotropic and nematic channels is shown to be negligible. Moreover, our results suggest that the nature of the magnetic and nematic transitions in Sr_(1-x)Ba_xFe_2As_2 is determined by the strength of the magnetic-elastic coupling.     

Neutron Powder Diffraction Study on the Non-Superconducting Phases of ThFeAsN_(1-x)O_x(x=0.15,0.6)Iron Pnictide

We use neutron powder diffraction to study the non-superconducting phases of ThFeAsN_(1-x)O_x with x = 0.15,0.6.In our previous results of the superconducting phase ThFeAsN with T_c = 30 K,no magnetic transition is observed by cooling down to 6 K,and possible oxygen occupancy at the nitrogen site is shown in the refinement[Europhys.Lett.117(2017)57005].Here in the oxygen doped system ThFeAsN_(1-x)O_x,two superconducting regions(0≤x≤0.1 and 0.25≤x≤0.55)are identified by transport experiments[J.Phys.:Condens.Matter30(2018)255602].However,within the resolution of our neutron powder diffraction experiment,neither the intermediate doping x= 0.15 nor the heavily overdoped compound x = 0.6 shows any magnetic order from 300 K to 4 K.Therefore,while it shares the common phenomenon of two superconducting domes as most 1111-type iron-based superconductors,the magneticall.y ordered parent compound may not exist in this nitride family.     

Magneto-Elastic Coupling in a Sinusoidal Modulated Magnet Cr2GaN

We use neutron powder diffraction to investigate the magnetic and crystalline structure of Cr₂GaN. A magnetic phase transition is identified at T ≈ 170 K, whereas no trace of structural transition is observed down to 6 K. Combining Rietveld refinement with irreducible representations, the spin configuration of Cr ions in Cr₂GaN is depicted as an incommensurate sinusoidal modulated structure characterized by a propagating vector k =(0.365, 0.365, 0). Upon warming up to the p...