High- Tc iron phosphide superconductivity enhanced by reemergent antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in [Sr4Sc2O6]Fe2(As1−xPx)2 probed by NMR

Abstract

We report a systematic NMR study on [Sr$_4$Sc$_2$O$_6$]Fe$_2$(As$_{1-x}$P$_x$)$_2$, for which the local lattice parameters of the iron-pnictogen (Fe$Pn$) layer are similar to those of the series LaFe(As$_{1-x'}$P$_{x'}$)O, which exhibit two segregated antiferromagnetic (AFM) order phases, AFM1 at $x'$=0-0.2 and AFM2 at $x'$=0.4-0.7. Our results revealed that the parent AFM1 phase at $x$=0 disappears at $x$=0.3-0.4, corresponding to a pnictogen height ($h_{pn}$) from the Fe-plane of 1.3-1.32 \AA, which is similar to that of LaFe(As$_{1-x'}$P$_{x'}$)O and various parent Fe-pnictides. By contrast, the AFM2 order reported for LaFe(As$_{0.4}$P$_{0.6}$)O does not appear at $x\sim$0.8, although the local lattice parameters of the Fe$Pn$ layer and the microscopic electronic states are quite similar. Despite the absence of the {\it static} AFM2 order, reemergent {\it dynamical} AFM spin fluctuations were observed at approximately $x\sim$0.8, which can be attributed to the instability of the AFM2 phase. We suggest this re-enhancement of AFM spin fluctuations to play a significant role in enhancing the $T_c$ to 17 K for $x$=0.8-1. Finally, we discuss the universality and diversity of the complicated magnetic ground states from a microscopic point of view, including the difference in the origins of the AFM1 and AFM2 phases, and their relations with the high superconducting transitions in Fe-pnictides.