Magnetic detwinning and biquadratic magnetic interaction in EuFe2As2 revealed by 153Eu NMR

Abstract

In the nematic state of iron-based superconductors, twin formation often obscures the intrinsic, anisotropic, in-plane physical properties.Relatively high in-plane external magnetic fields $H_{\mathrm{ext}}$ greater than the typical lab-scale magnetic fields 10--15 T are usually required to completely detwin a sample. However, recently a very small in-plane $H_{\mathrm{ext}}\sim$ 0.1 T was found to be sufficient for detwinning the nematic domains in EuFe${}_2$As${}_2$. To explain this behavior, a microscopic theory based on biquadratic magnetic interactions between the Eu and Fe spins has been proposed. Here, using ${}^{153}$Eu nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements below the Eu${}^{2+}$ ordering temperature, we show experimental evidence of the detwinning under small in-plane $H_{\mathrm{ext}}$. Our NMR study also reveals the evolution of the angles between the Eu and Fe spins during the detwinning process, which provides the first experimental evidence for the existence of biquadratic coupling in the system.

5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B rapid communication

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Strongly anisotropic antiferromagnetic coupling in EuFe2As2 revealed by stress detwinning
• Antiferromagnetic resonances in twinned EuFe2As2 single crystal
• Effect of controlled artificial disorder on the magnetic properties of EuFe${}_2$(As${}_{1-x}$P${}_x$)${}_2$ ferromagnetic superconductor
• Incommensurate magnetic order in an axion insulator candidate EuIn${}_2$As${}_2$ investigated by NMR measurement