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The twin issues of the nature of the normal state and competing order(s) in the iron arsenides are central to understanding their unconventional, high-Tc superconductivity. We use a combination of transport anisotropy measurements on detwinned Sr(Fe(1-x)Co(x))2As2 single crystals and local density approximation plus dynamical mean field theory (LDA + DMFT) calculations to revisit these issues. The peculiar resistivity anisotropy and its evolution with x are naturally interpreted in terms of an underlying orbital-selective Mott transition (OSMT) that gaps out the dxz or dyz states. Further, we use a Landau-Ginzburg approach using LDA + DMFT input to rationalize a wide range of anomalies seen up to optimal doping, providing strong evidence for secondary electronic nematic order. These findings suggest that strong dynamical fluctuations linked to a marginal quantum-critical point associated with this OSMT and a secondary electronic nematic order constitute an intrinsically electronic pairing mechanism for superconductivity in Fe arsenides., Comment: 9 pages, revtex4-1, published version

We use polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy to study the anisotropy of the electronic characteristics of the iron-pnictide parent compounds $A$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($A$~=~Eu, Sr). We demonstrate that above the structural phase transition at Ts the dynamical anisotropic properties of the 122 compounds are governed by the emergence of $xy$-symmetry critical collective mode foretelling a condensation into a state with spontaneously broken four-fold symmetry at a temperature $T^{*}$. However, the mode's critical slowing down is intervened by a structural transition at Ts, about 80~K above $T^{*}$, resulting in an anisotropic density wave state.

We use point contact spectroscopy (PCS) to probe the superconducting properties of electron doped $\rm{Ba(Fe_{1-x}Co_x)_2As_2}$ ($\rm{x = 0.05, 0.055, 0.07, 0.08}$) and hole doped $\rm{Ba_{0.8}K_{0.2}Fe_2As_2}$. PCS directly probes the low energy density of states via Andreev reflection, revealing two distinct superconducting gaps in both compound families. Apart from the electron underdoped $\rm{Ba(Fe_{1-x}Co_{x})_2As_2}$, the excess current due to Andreev reflection for the compounds follows the typical BCS temperature dependence. For underdoped $\rm{Ba(Fe_{1-x}Co_{x})_2As_2}$, the temperature dependence of the excess current deviates from that of BCS, developing a tail at higher temperatures and surviving above bulk $T_c$. Possible explanations for this anomalous behavior are explored.

We use point contact spectroscopy to probe $\rm{AEFe_2As_2}$ ($\rm{AE=Ca, Sr, Ba}$) and $\rm{Fe_{1+y}Te}$. For $\rm{AE=Sr, Ba}$ we detect orbital fluctuations above $T_S$ while for AE=Ca these fluctuations start below $T_S$. Co doping preserves the orbital fluctuations while K doping suppresses it. The fluctuations are only seen at those dopings and temperatures where an in-plane resistive anisotropy is known to exist. We predict an in-plane resistive anisotropy of $\rm{Fe_{1+y}Te}$ above $T_S$. Our data are examined in light of the recent work by W.-C. Lee and P. Phillips (arXiv:1110.5917v2). We also study how joule heating in the PCS junctions impacts the spectra. Spectroscopic information is only obtained from those PCS junctions that are free of heating effects while those PCS junctions that are in the thermal regime display bulk resistivity phenomenon., Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review B

Point contact spectroscopy reveals a gap-like feature above the magnetic and structural transition temperatures for underdoped $Ba(Fe_{1-x}Co_x)_2As_2$, $SrFe_2As_2$ and $Fe_{1+y}Te$. The conductance spectrum starts showing an enhancement at temperatures as high as 177 K for $BaFe_2As_2$ ($T_N$ $\sim$ 132 K) and 250 K for $SrFe_2As_2$ ($T_N$ $\sim$ 192 K). Possible origins for this enhancement are discussed in light of recent experimental claims of nematicity in these materials. We construct a modified phase diagram for Co-doped Ba122 showing a gap-like feature existing above $T_N$ and $T_S$ for the underdoped regime.

We present a detailed study of quantum oscillations in the antiferromagnetically ordered pnictide compound SrFe$_2$As$_2$ as the angle between the applied magnetic field and crystalline axes is varied. Our measurements were performed on high quality single crystals in a superconducting magnet, and in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T, allowing us to observe orbits from several small Fermi surface pockets. We extract the cyclotron effective mass $m^{\star}$ and frequency $F$ for these orbits and track their values as the field is rotated away from the c-axis. While a constant ratio of $m^{\star}/F$ is observed for one orbit as expected for a parabolic band, a clear deviation is observed for another. We conclude that this deviation points to an orbit derived from a band with Dirac dispersion near the Fermi level., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We report inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the magnetic excitations in SrFe2As2, the parent of a family of iron-based superconductors. The data extend throughout the Brillouin zone and up to energies of ~260meV. An analysis with the local-moment J_1-J2 model implies very different in-plane nearest-neighbor exchange parameters along the $a$ and $b$ directions, both in the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases. However, the spectrum calculated from the J1-J2 model deviates significantly from our data. We show that the qualitative features that cannot be described by the J1-J2 model are readily explained by calculations from a 5-band itinerant mean-field model., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, reformatted and lengthened for Phys. Rev. B regular article

We present a comprehensive comparison of the infrared charge response of two systems, characteristic of classes of the 122 pnictide (SrFe2As2) and 11 chalcogenide (Fe_1.087Te) Fe compounds with magnetically-ordered ground states. In the 122 system, the magnetic phase shows a decreased plasma frequency and scattering, and associated appearance of strong mid-infrared features. The 11 system, with a different magnetic ordering pattern, also shows decreased scattering, but an increase in the plasma frequency, while no clear mid-infrared features appear below the ordering temperature. We suggest how this marked contrast can be understood in terms of the diverse magnetic ordering patterns of the ground state, and conclude that while the high temperature phases of these systems are similar, the magnetic ordering strongly affects the charge dynamical response. In addition, we propose an optical absorption mechanism which appears to be consistent with information gained from several different experiments., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

SrFe2As2 is the end-member for a series of iron-pnictide superconductors and has a tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition near 200 K. Previous macroscopic measurements to determine the nature of the transition gave seemingly inconsistent results so we use electron microscopy to monitor the local order parameter showing that the transformation is first order and that the orthorhombic phase grows as needle domains. This suggests the transition occurs via the passage of transformation dislocations, explaining the apparent inconsistencies. This mechanism may be common to similar transitions., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures submitted to Physical Review Letters. Supplementary information can be found at http://cook.msm.cam.ac.uk/~supp_info/ An extra sentence in the second last paragraph and reference 16 has been added

We report measurements of the Hall coefficient $R_H$ for single crystals of AFe$_2$As$_2$ with $A = Ba, Ca$ or $Sr$ which are the anti-ferromagnetic parent compounds of some high temperature pnictide superconductors. We show that $R_H$ of Sr-122 is consistent with high field quantum oscillation data. Our $R_H(T)$ data can also be used to estimate values of the spin density wave gap, giving $\Delta_{SDW}(0) = 710\pm 70$ K for Sr-122 and $435\pm 20$ K for Ba-122., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

Point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy (PCARS) is applied to investigate the gap structure in iron pnictide single crystal superconductors of the AFe_2As_2 (A=Ba, Sr) family ("Fe-122"). The observed point-contact junction conductance curves, G(V), can be divided into two categories: one where Andreev reflection is present for both (Ba_{0.6}K_{0.4})Fe_2As_2 and Ba(Fe_{0.9}Co_{0.1})_2As_2, and the other with a V^{2/3} background conductance universally observed extending even up to 100 meV for Sr_{0.6}Na_{0.4}Fe_2As_2 and Sr(Fe_{0.9}Co_{0.1})_2As_2. The latter is also observed in point-contact junctions on the nonsuperconducting parent compound BaFe_2As_2. Mesoscopic phase-separated coexistence of magnetic and superconducting orders is considered to explain distinct behaviors in the superconducting samples. For Ba_{0.6}K_{0.4}Fe_2As_2, double peaks due to Andreev reflection with strongly-sloping background are frequently observed for point-contacts on freshly-cleaved c-axis surfaces. If normalized by a background baseline and analyzed by the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model, the data show a gap size ~3.0-4.0 meV with 2\Delta_0/k_BT_c ~ 2.0-2.6, consistent with the smaller gap size reported in the LnFeAsO family ("Fe-1111"). For the Ba(Fe_{0.9}Co_{0.1})_2As_2, G(V) curves typically display a zero-bias conductance peak., Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures

The parent compounds of the recently discovered iron-arsenic (pnictide) high temperature superconductors transition into an intriguing spin density wave (SDW) phase at low temperatures. Progress in understanding this SDW state has been complicated by a complex band structure and by the fact that the spin, electronic, and structural degrees of freedom are closely intertwined in these compounds. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements have added to this complexity by revealing different topographies with no consensus on the surface structure. In this paper, we use a combination of high-resolution STM imaging and spectroscopy, and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) to determine the atomic and electronic structure of the parent pnictide SrFe2As2. Our data present a compelling picture of the existence of two coexisting homotopic structures on the surface. Based on this, we construct a simple model for the surface, which offers an explanation of the two classes of topographies seen by STM. STM spectroscopy shows that while the high energy density of states (DOS) profile is consistent with the Fe 3d and As 4p-electrons predicted by LDA it is in better agreement with calculations that include electron correlations beyond LDA. Importantly, we find a gap of ~15 meV in the low energy density of states on both structures which may be linked with the SDW or the observed surface reconstruction.

We report quantum oscillation measurements in SrFe2As2 - which is an antiferromagnetic parent of the iron-arsenide family of superconductors - known to become superconducting under doping and the application of pressure. The magnetic field and temperature dependences of the oscillations between 20 and 55 T in the liquid helium temperature range suggest that the electronic excitations are those of a Fermi liquid. We show that the observed Fermi surface comprising small pockets is consistent with the formation of a spin-density wave. Our measurements thus demonstrate that high Tc superconductivity can occur on doping or pressurizing a conventional metallic spin-density wave state.