Discovery of a strain-stabilised smectic electronic order in LiFeAs

Chi Ming Yim; Christopher Trainer; Ramakrishna Aluru; Shun Chi; Walter N. Hardy; Ruixing Liang; Doug Bonn; Peter Wahl

doi:10.1038/s41467-018-04909-y

Discovery of a strain-stabilised smectic electronic order in LiFeAs

Chi Ming Yim, Christopher Trainer, Ramakrishna Aluru, Shun Chi, Walter N. Hardy, Ruixing Liang, Doug Bonn, Peter Wahl

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Abstract

In many high temperature superconductors, small orthorhombic distortions of the lattice structure result in surprisingly large symmetry breaking of the electronic states and macroscopic properties, an effect often referred to as nematicity. To directly study the impact of symmetry-breaking lattice distortions on the electronic states, using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy we image at the atomic scale the influence of strain-tuned lattice distortions on the correlated electronic states in the iron-based superconductor LiFeAs, a material which in its ground state is tetragonal with four-fold (C₄) symmetry. Our experiments uncover a new strain-stabilised modulated phase which exhibits a smectic order in LiFeAs, an electronic state which not only breaks rotational symmetry but also reduces translational symmetry. We follow the evolution of the superconducting gap from the unstrained material with C₄ symmetry through the new smectic phase with two-fold (C₂) symmetry and charge-density wave order to a state where superconductivity is completely suppressed.

Original language	English
Article number	2602
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04909-y
Publication status	Published - 4 Jul 2018

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Topological Protection and NonEquilibriu: Topological Protection and NonEquilibrium States in Strongly Correlated Electron Systems
Wahl, P. (PI), Baumberger, F. (CoI), Davis, J. C. (CoI), Green, A. (CoI), Hooley, C. (CoI), Keeling, J. M. J. (CoI) & Mackenzie, A. (CoI)
EPSRC
1/09/11 → 31/08/17
Project: Standard

Peter Wahl
- gpw2st-andrews.acuk
- School of Physics and Astronomy - Professor, Director of Research
- Centre for Designer Quantum Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
Person: Academic

Discovery of a strain-stabilized smectic electronic order in LiFeAs (dataset)
Yim, C. M. (Creator), Trainer, C. W. J. (Creator), Aluru, R. K. P. (Creator), Chi, S. (Creator), Hardy, W. N. (Creator), Liang, R. (Creator), Bonn, D. (Creator) & Wahl, P. (Creator), University of St Andrews, 5 Jul 2018
DOI: 10.17630/c47ff360-09d4-4620-9ebf-bbb8792fb808
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title = "Discovery of a strain-stabilised smectic electronic order in LiFeAs",

abstract = "In many high temperature superconductors, small orthorhombic distortions of the lattice structure result in surprisingly large symmetry breaking of the electronic states and macroscopic properties, an effect often referred to as nematicity. To directly study the impact of symmetry-breaking lattice distortions on the electronic states, using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy we image at the atomic scale the influence of strain-tuned lattice distortions on the correlated electronic states in the iron-based superconductor LiFeAs, a material which in its ground state is tetragonal with four-fold (C4) symmetry. Our experiments uncover a new strain-stabilised modulated phase which exhibits a smectic order in LiFeAs, an electronic state which not only breaks rotational symmetry but also reduces translational symmetry. We follow the evolution of the superconducting gap from the unstrained material with C4 symmetry through the new smectic phase with two-fold (C2) symmetry and charge-density wave order to a state where superconductivity is completely suppressed.",

author = "Yim, {Chi Ming} and Christopher Trainer and Ramakrishna Aluru and Shun Chi and Hardy, {Walter N.} and Ruixing Liang and Doug Bonn and Peter Wahl",

note = "CT, CMY and PW acknowledge funding from EPSRC through EP/L505079/1 and EP/I031014/1. Research at UBC was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute.",

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AU - Yim, Chi Ming

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AU - Aluru, Ramakrishna

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AU - Hardy, Walter N.

AU - Liang, Ruixing

AU - Bonn, Doug

AU - Wahl, Peter

N1 - CT, CMY and PW acknowledge funding from EPSRC through EP/L505079/1 and EP/I031014/1. Research at UBC was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute.

PY - 2018/7/4

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N2 - In many high temperature superconductors, small orthorhombic distortions of the lattice structure result in surprisingly large symmetry breaking of the electronic states and macroscopic properties, an effect often referred to as nematicity. To directly study the impact of symmetry-breaking lattice distortions on the electronic states, using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy we image at the atomic scale the influence of strain-tuned lattice distortions on the correlated electronic states in the iron-based superconductor LiFeAs, a material which in its ground state is tetragonal with four-fold (C4) symmetry. Our experiments uncover a new strain-stabilised modulated phase which exhibits a smectic order in LiFeAs, an electronic state which not only breaks rotational symmetry but also reduces translational symmetry. We follow the evolution of the superconducting gap from the unstrained material with C4 symmetry through the new smectic phase with two-fold (C2) symmetry and charge-density wave order to a state where superconductivity is completely suppressed.

AB - In many high temperature superconductors, small orthorhombic distortions of the lattice structure result in surprisingly large symmetry breaking of the electronic states and macroscopic properties, an effect often referred to as nematicity. To directly study the impact of symmetry-breaking lattice distortions on the electronic states, using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy we image at the atomic scale the influence of strain-tuned lattice distortions on the correlated electronic states in the iron-based superconductor LiFeAs, a material which in its ground state is tetragonal with four-fold (C4) symmetry. Our experiments uncover a new strain-stabilised modulated phase which exhibits a smectic order in LiFeAs, an electronic state which not only breaks rotational symmetry but also reduces translational symmetry. We follow the evolution of the superconducting gap from the unstrained material with C4 symmetry through the new smectic phase with two-fold (C2) symmetry and charge-density wave order to a state where superconductivity is completely suppressed.

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 9

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 2602

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Discovery of a strain-stabilised smectic electronic order in LiFeAs

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Topological Protection and NonEquilibriu: Topological Protection and NonEquilibrium States in Strongly Correlated Electron Systems

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Discovery of a strain-stabilized smectic electronic order in LiFeAs (dataset)

Cite this