Sign-reversal of the in-plane resistivity anisotropy in hole-doped iron pnictides

Abstract

Unconventional superconductivity usually originates from several strongly coupled degrees of freedom, such as magnetic, charge and elastic. A highly anisotropic electronic phase, not driven by lattice degrees of freedom, has been proposed in some of these superconductors, from cuprates to iron-based compounds. In the iron pnictide BaFe 2 As 2, this nematic phase arises in the paramagnetic phase and is present for wide doping and temperature ranges. Here we probe the in-plane electronic anisotropy of electron- and hole-doped BaFe 2 As 2 compounds. Unlike other materials, the resistivity anisotropy behaves very differently for electron- and hole-type dopants and even changes sign on the hole-doped side. This behaviour is explained by Fermi surface reconstruction in the magnetic phase and spin-fluctuation scattering in the paramagnetic phase. This unique transport anisotropy unveils the primary role played by magnetic scattering, demonstrating the close connection between magnetism, nematicity and unconventional superconductivity. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.