Spin-Orbit Coupling and Magnetic Anisotropy in Iron-Based Superconductors

Abstract

We determine theoretically the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the magnetic excitation spectrum of itinerant multi-orbital systems, with specific application to iron-based superconductors. Our microscopic model includes a realistic ten-band kinetic Hamiltonian, atomic spin-orbit coupling, and multi-orbital Hubbard interactions. Our results highlight the remarkable variability of the resulting magnetic anisotropy despite constant spin-orbit coupling. At the same time, the magnetic anisotropy exhibits robust universal behavior upon changes in the bandstructure corresponding to different materials of iron-based superconductors. A natural explanation of the observed universality emerges when considering optimal nesting as a resonance phenomenon. Our theory is also of relevance to other itinerant system with spin-orbit coupling and nesting tendencies in the bandstructure.

15 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (15)

• Observation of topological superconductivity on the surface of an iron-based superconductor
• Emergence of the nematic electronic state in FeSe
• Hedgehog spin-vortex crystal stabilized in a hole-doped iron-based superconductor
• Competing orders in FeAs layers
• Spin reorientation in Na-doped BaFe${}_2$As${}_2$ studied by neutron diffraction
• Anisotropic Neutron Spin Resonance in Superconducting BaFe${}_{1.9}$Ni${}_{0.1}$As${}_2$
• Interplay of nematic and magnetic orders in FeSe under pressure
• Magnetic anisotropy in hole-doped superconducting Ba 0.67K 0.33Fe 2As2 probed by polarized inelastic neutron scattering
• Anisotropic neutron spin resonance in underdoped superconducting NaFe1-xCoxAs
• Polarized neutron scattering studies of magnetic excitations in electron-overdoped superconducting BaFe${}_{1.85}$Ni${}_{0.15}$As${}_2$
• Anisotropy of incommensurate magnetic excitations in slightly overdoped Ba${}_{0.5}$K${}_{0.5}$Fe${}_2$As${}_2$ probed by polarized inelastic neutron scattering experiments
• Role of multiorbital effects in the magnetic phase diagram of iron-pnictides
• Spin anisotropy due to spin-orbit coupling in optimally hole-doped Ba${}_{0.67}$K${}_{0.33}$Fe${}_2$As${}_2$
• Collective magnetic excitations of $C_4$ symmetric magnetic states in iron-based superconductors
• Spin excitation anisotropy in the paramagnetic tetragonal phase of BaFe2 As2

Cited by in corpus (15)

• On the Remarkable Superconductivity of FeSe and its Close Cousins
• Unravelling incommensurate magnetism and its emergence in iron-based superconductors
• Singular magnetic anisotropy in the nematic phase of FeSe
• A computational method to estimate spin-orbital interaction strength in solid state systems
• Moiré Engineering of Spin-Orbit Coupling in Twisted Platinum Diselenide
• In-plane uniaxial pressure-induced out-of-plane antiferromagnetic moment and critical fluctuations in BaFe${}_2$As${}_2$
• Intertwined spin-orbital coupled orders in the iron-based superconductors
• Magnetic phase diagram of the iron pnictides in the presence of spin-orbit coupling: Frustration between $C_2$ and $C_4$ magnetic phases
• Competing Electronic Phases near the Onset of Superconductivity in Hole-doped SrFe2As2
• Preferred magnetic excitations in Sr${}_{1-x}$Na${}_x$Fe${}_2$As${}_2$
• Strong Spin Resonance Mode associated with suppression of soft magnetic ordering in Hole-doped Ba1-xNaxFe2As2
• Anisotropic effect of a magnetic field on the neutron spin resonance in FeSe
• Unusual suppression of a spin resonance mode with magnetic field in underdoped NaFe${}_{1-x}$Co${}_x$As: Evidence for orbital-selective pairing
• Interplay of stripe and double-Q magnetism with superconductivity in ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{K}}_x{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{As}}_2$ under the influence of magnetic fields
• Polarized neutron scattering studies of magnetic excitations in iron-selenide superconductor (Li${}_{0.8}$Fe${}_{0.2}$)ODFeSe ($T_c$ = 41 K)