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Power-law-like correlation between condensation energy and superconducting transition temperatures in iron pnictide/chalcogenide superconductors: Beyond the BCS understanding

Jie Xing, Sheng Li, Bin Zeng, Gang Mu, Bing Shen, J. Schneeloch, R. D. Zhong, T. S. Liu, G. D. Gu, and Hai-Hu Wen
Phys. Rev. B 89, 140503(R) – Published 16 April 2014
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Abstract

Superconducting condensation energy U0int has been determined by integrating the electronic entropy in various iron pnictide/chalcogenide superconducting systems. It is found that U0intTcn with n=3–4, which is in sharp contrast to the simple BCS prediction U0BCS=1/2NFΔs2, with NF the quasiparticle density of states at the Fermi energy and Δs the superconducting gap. A similar correlation holds if we compute the condensation energy through U0cal=3γneffΔs2/4π2kB2, with γneff the effective normal state electronic specific heat coefficient. This indicates a general relationship γneffTcm with m=1–2, which is not predicted by the BCS scheme. A picture based on quantum criticality is proposed to explain this phenomenon.

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  • Received 17 February 2014
  • Revised 31 March 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.140503

©2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Jie Xing1, Sheng Li1, Bin Zeng2, Gang Mu2, Bing Shen2, J. Schneeloch3, R. D. Zhong3, T. S. Liu3,4, G. D. Gu3, and Hai-Hu Wen1,*

  • 1Center for Superconducting Physics and Materials, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
  • 2National Laboratory for Superconductivity, Institute of Physics and National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
  • 3Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA
  • 4School of Chemical Engineering and Environment, North University of China, Shanxi 030051, China

  • *hhwen@nju.edu.cn

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Vol. 89, Iss. 14 — 1 April 2014

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