Emergent defect states as a source of resistivity anisotropy in the nematic phase of iron pnictides

Abstract

We consider the role of potential scatterers in the nematic phase of Fe-based superconductors above the transition temperature to the (pi,0) magnetic state but below the orthorhombic structural transition. The anisotropic spin fluctuations in this region can be frozen by disorder, to create elongated magnetic droplets whose anisotropy grows as the magnetic transition is approached. Such states act as strong anisotropic defect potentials which scatter with much higher probability perpendicular to their length than parallel, although the actual crystal symmetry breaking is tiny. We calculate the scattering potentials, relaxation rates, and conductivity in this region, and show that such emergent defect states are essential for the transport anisotropy observed in experiments.

5 pages, 4 figures

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• Supercurrents and spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking by nonmagnetic disorder in unconventional superconductors
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• Inter-orbital nematicity and the origin of a single electron Fermi pocket in FeSe
• Local magnetization nucleated by non-magnetic impurities in Fe-based superconductors
• Time-reversal symmetry breaking from lattice dislocations in superconductors
• Nematic phases and elastoresistivity from a multiorbital non-Fermi liquid
• Magnetic anisotropy from linear defect structures in correlated electron systems
• In-plane electronic anisotropy revealed by interlayer resistivity measurements on the iron-based superconductor parent compound CaFeAsF
• Nematicity in LaFeAsO single crystals studied by elastoresistance, high-resolution thermal expansion and shear-modulus measurements