Specific heat in strongly hole-doped Iron-based superconductors

Abstract

We compute the specific heat $C(T)$ in an Fe-based superconductor with only hole pockets. We use a three-orbital/three pocket model with two smaller hole pockets made out of $d_{xz}$ and $d_{yz}$ orbitals and a larger pocket made out of $d_{xy}$ orbital. We use as an input the experimental fact that the mass of $d_{xy}$ fermion is much heavier than that of $d_{xz}/d_{yz}$ fermions. We argue that the heavy $d_{xy}$ band contributes most to the specific heat in the normal state, but the superconducting gap on the $d_{xy}$ pocket is parametrically smaller than that on $d_{xz}/d_{yz}$ pockets. We argue that in this situation the jump of $C(T)$ at $T_c$ is determined by $d_{xz}/d_{yz}$ fermions, and the ratio $(C_s-C_n)/C_n$ is a fraction of that in a one-band BCS theory. Below $T_c$, $C(T)$ remains relatively flat down to some $T^{\ast }$, below which $C(T)$ rapidly drops. This behavior is consistent with the data for KFe${}_2$As${}_2$ and related materials. We argue that the data on $C(T)$ can be reproduced without assuming that the quasiparticle residue $Z$ on $d_{xy}$ band is small. We further argue that the very existence of a finite $T^{\ast }<T_c$ favors $s^{+-}$ gap structure over $d-$wave, because in the latter case $T^{\ast }$ would vanish.

6 pages, 3 figures + Supplementary material. The version accepted for publication in Physical Review B