Effect of residual stress on nematic domains in BaFe2−x Ni x As2 studied by angular magnetoresistance.

We have studied the angular magnetoresistance of iron pnictides BaFe2−xNixAs2, which shows clear 180 degree periodicity as fitted by a cosine function. In the x = 0.065 sample, the phase of the two-fold symmetry changes 90 degrees above the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural transition temperature Ts. Since the phase at low temperature is associated with the rotation of orthorhombic domains by magnetic field, we show that even vacuum grease can push the presence of orthorhombic domains at temperatures much higher than Ts. Our results suggest that residual stress may have significant effects in studying the nematic orders and its fluctuations in iron pnictides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]