Discovery of mesoscopic nematicity wave in iron-based superconductors

Abstract

Patterned nematics Electrons in solids can break rotational symmetry, resulting in electronic nematicity. This phenomenon has been observed in both cuprate-based and iron-based high-temperature superconductors, and its relationship to superconductivity remains a subject of debate. Shimojima et al . used linear dichroism measurements to image nematicity in two iron-based superconductors. Unexpectedly, the researchers found periodic patterns with very long wavelengths. The findings could be described with a phenomenological model assuming a train of nematic domain walls. —JS