Skip to main content

Anisotropic energy gaps of iron-based superconductivity from intraband quasiparticle interference in LiFeAs

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

M.P. Allan
A.W. Rost
A.P. Mackenzie
Y. Xie
J.C. Davis
K. Kihou
C.H. Lee
A. Iyo
H. Eisaki
T.-M. Chuang

Abstract

If strong electron-electron interactions between neighboring Fe atoms mediate the Cooper pairing in iron-pnictide superconductors, then specific and distinct anisotropic superconducting energy gaps Δi(k →) should appear on the different electronic bands i. Here, we introduce intraband Bogoliubov quasiparticle scattering interference (QPI) techniques for determination of Δi(k→) in such materials, focusing on lithium iron arsenide (LiFeAs). We identify the three hole-like bands assigned previously as γ, α2, and α1, and we determine the anisotropy, magnitude, and relative orientations of their Δi(k→): These measurements will advance quantitative theoretical analysis of the mechanism of Cooper pairing in iron-based superconductivity.

Date Published

Journal

Science

Volume

336

Issue

6081

Number of Pages

563-567,

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84860476824&doi=10.1126%2fscience.1218726&partnerID=40&md5=12a04a6088d3d02185c273e4a0d017de

DOI

10.1126/science.1218726

Group (Lab)

J.C. Seamus Davis Group

Download citation