Evidence for filamentary superconductivity nucleated at antiphase domain walls in antiferromagnetic CaFe 2As 2

Abstract

Resistivity, magnetization, and microscopic 75As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements in the antiferromagnetically ordered state of the iron-based superconductor parent material CaFe 2As 2 exhibit anomalous features that are consistent with the collective freezing of domain walls. Below T * 10 K, the resistivity exhibits a peak and downturn, the bulk magnetization exhibits a sharp increase, and 75As NMR measurements reveal the presence of slow fluctuations of the hyperfine field. These features in both the charge and spin response are strongly field dependent, are fully suppressed by H * 15 T, and suggest the presence of filamentary superconductivity nucleated at the antiphase domain walls in this material. © 2012 American Physical Society.