Imaging the real space structure of the spin fluctuations in an iron-based superconductor

Shun Chi, Rama Krishna Prasad Aluru, Stephanie Grothe, A. Kreisel, Udai Raj Singh, Brian M. Andersen, W. N. Hardy, Ruixing Liang, D. A. Bonn, S. A. Burke, Peter Wahl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Spin fluctuations are a leading candidate for the pairing mechanism in high temperature superconductors, supported by the common appearance of a distinct resonance in the spin susceptibility across the cuprates, iron-based superconductors and many heavy fermion materials1. The information we have about the spin resonance comes almost exclusively from neutron scattering. Here we demonstrate that by using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy we can characterize the spin resonance in real space. We establish that inelastic tunneling leads to the characteristic "dip-hump" feature seen in tunneling spectra in high temperature superconductors and that this feature arises from excitations of the spin fluctuations. Spatial mapping of this feature near defects allows us to probe non-local properties of the spin susceptibility and to image its real space structure.
Original languageEnglish
Article number15996
Number of pages7
JournalNature Communications
Volume8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Jun 2017

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