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Nanoscale Layering of Antiferromagnetic and Superconducting Phases in Rb2Fe4Se5 Single Crystals

A. Charnukha, A. Cvitkovic, T. Prokscha, D. Pröpper, N. Ocelic, A. Suter, Z. Salman, E. Morenzoni, J. Deisenhofer, V. Tsurkan, A. Loidl, B. Keimer, and A. V. Boris
Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 017003 – Published 5 July 2012

Abstract

We studied phase separation in the single-crystalline antiferromagnetic superconductor Rb2Fe4Se5 (RFS) using a combination of scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy and low-energy muon spin rotation (LE-μSR). We demonstrate that the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases segregate into nanometer-thick layers perpendicular to the iron-selenide planes, while the characteristic in-plane size of the metallic domains reaches 10μm. By means of LE-μSR we further show that in a 40-nm thick surface layer the ordered antiferromagnetic moment is drastically reduced, while the volume fraction of the paramagnetic phase is significantly enhanced over its bulk value. Self-organization into a quasiregular heterostructure indicates an intimate connection between the modulated superconducting and antiferromagnetic phases.

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  • Received 23 February 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.017003

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Charnukha1, A. Cvitkovic2, T. Prokscha3, D. Pröpper1, N. Ocelic2, A. Suter3, Z. Salman3, E. Morenzoni3, J. Deisenhofer4, V. Tsurkan4,5, A. Loidl4, B. Keimer1, and A. V. Boris1

  • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Heisenbergstrasse 1, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
  • 2Neaspec GmbH, D-82152 Martinsried (Munich), Germany
  • 3Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
  • 4Experimental Physics V, Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, D-86159 Augsburg, Germany
  • 5Institute of Applied Physics, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, MD-2028 Chisinau, R. Moldova

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Issue

Vol. 109, Iss. 1 — 6 July 2012

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