Atomic-scale coexistence of short-range magnetic order and superconductivity in Fe1+ySe0.1Te0.9

Abstract

The ground state of the parent compounds of many high-temperature superconductors is an antiferromagnetically ordered phase, where superconductivity emerges when the antiferromagnetic phase transition is suppressed by doping or application of pressure. This behavior implies a close relation between the two orders. Examining the interplay between them promises a better understanding of how the superconducting condensate forms from the antiferromagnetically ordered background. Here we explore this relation in real space at the atomic scale using low-temperature spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. We investigate the transition from antiferromagnetically ordered Fe1+yTe via the spin-glass phase in Fe1+ySe0.1Te0.9 to superconducting Fe1+ySe0.15Te0.85. In Fe1+ySe0.1Te0.9 we observe an atomic-scale coexistence of superconductivity and short-ranged bicollinear antiferromagnetic order. However, a direct correlation between the two orders is not observed, supporting the scenario of s± superconducting symmetry in this material. Our work demonstrates a direct probe of the relation between the two orders, which is indispensable for our understanding of high-temperature superconductivity.