Magnetic excitations in iron chalcogenide superconductors

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron scattering experiments in iron chalcogenide superconductors are reviewed to make a survey of the magnetic excitations in FeSe, FeSe1-xTex and alkali-metal-doped AxFe2-ySe2 (A = K, Rb, Cs, etc). In FeSe, the intimate relationship between the spin fluctuations and superconductivity can be seen universally for the variations in the off-stoichiometry, the Co-substitution and applied pressure. The isovalent compound FeTe has a magnetic ordering with different wave vector from that of other Fe-based magnetic materials. The transition temperature Tc of FeSe increases with Te substitution in FeSe1-xTex with small x, and decreases in the vicinity of the end member FeTe. The spin fluctuations are drastically modified by the Te substitution. In the vicinity of the end member FeTe, the low-energy part of the spin fluctuation is dominated by the wave vector of the ordered phase of FeTe; however, the reduction of Tc shows that it does not support superconductivity. The presence of same wave vector as that of other Fe-based superconductors in FeSe1-xTex and the observation of the resonance mode demonstrate that FeSe1-xTe x belongs to the same group as most of other Fe-based superconductors in the entire range of x, where superconductivity is mediated by the spin fluctuations whose wave vector is the same as the nesting vector between the hole pockets and the electron pockets. On the other hand, the spin fluctuations differ for alkali-metal-doped AxFe2-ySe2 and FeSe or other Fe-based superconductors in their wave vector and strength in the low-energy part, most likely because of the different Fermi surfaces. The resonance mode with different wave vector suggests that AxFe 2-ySe2 has an exceptional superconducting symmetry among Fe-based superconductors. © 2012 National Institute for Materials Science.