Nanoscale electronic order in iron pnictides.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2010;
104:097001. [PMID:
20367004 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.104.097001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2009] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The charge distribution in RFeAsO1-xFx (R=La,Sm) iron pnictides is probed using As nuclear quadrupole resonance. Whereas undoped and optimally doped or overdoped compounds feature a single charge environment, two charge environments are detected in the underdoped region. Spin-lattice relaxation measurements show their coexistence at the nanoscale. Together with the quantitative variations of the spectra with doping, they point to a local electronic order in the iron layers, where low- and high-doping-like regions would coexist. Implications for the interplay of static magnetism and superconductivity are discussed.
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