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A Mott insulator continuously connected to iron pnictide superconductors

Author

Listed:
  • Yu Song

    (Rice University)

  • Zahra Yamani

    (Canadian Neutron Beam Centre, Chalk River Laboratories)

  • Chongde Cao

    (Rice University
    Northwestern Polytechnical University)

  • Yu Li

    (Rice University)

  • Chenglin Zhang

    (Rice University)

  • Justin S. Chen

    (Rice University)

  • Qingzhen Huang

    (NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology)

  • Hui Wu

    (NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology
    University of Maryland)

  • Jing Tao

    (Brookhaven National National Laboratory)

  • Yimei Zhu

    (Brookhaven National National Laboratory)

  • Wei Tian

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Songxue Chi

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Huibo Cao

    (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Yao-Bo Huang

    (Paul Scherrer Institute, Swiss Light Source
    Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Marcus Dantz

    (Paul Scherrer Institute, Swiss Light Source)

  • Thorsten Schmitt

    (Paul Scherrer Institute, Swiss Light Source)

  • Rong Yu

    (Renmin University of China
    Shanghai Jiao Tong University
    Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures)

  • Andriy H. Nevidomskyy

    (Rice University)

  • Emilia Morosan

    (Rice University)

  • Qimiao Si

    (Rice University)

  • Pengcheng Dai

    (Rice University)

Abstract

Iron-based superconductivity develops near an antiferromagnetic order and out of a bad-metal normal state, which has been interpreted as originating from a proximate Mott transition. Whether an actual Mott insulator can be realized in the phase diagram of the iron pnictides remains an open question. Here we use transport, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and neutron scattering to demonstrate that NaFe1−xCuxAs near x≈0.5 exhibits real space Fe and Cu ordering, and are antiferromagnetic insulators with the insulating behaviour persisting above the Néel temperature, indicative of a Mott insulator. On decreasing x from 0.5, the antiferromagnetic-ordered moment continuously decreases, yielding to superconductivity ∼x=0.05. Our discovery of a Mott-insulating state in NaFe1−xCuxAs thus makes it the only known Fe-based material, in which superconductivity can be smoothly connected to the Mott-insulating state, highlighting the important role of electron correlations in the high-Tc superconductivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu Song & Zahra Yamani & Chongde Cao & Yu Li & Chenglin Zhang & Justin S. Chen & Qingzhen Huang & Hui Wu & Jing Tao & Yimei Zhu & Wei Tian & Songxue Chi & Huibo Cao & Yao-Bo Huang & Marcus Dantz & Tho, 2016. "A Mott insulator continuously connected to iron pnictide superconductors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13879
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13879
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