Lattice Effects Across the Phase Diagram of Pnictides

Abstract

We have studied by Raman spectroscopy the effect of doping, temperature, and hydrostatic pressure on selected Fe pnictides of the 1111 series. Two sets of RFeAsO1−xFx compounds have been examined (R=Sm and Nd) with a varying amount of doping and transition temperature. The doping dependence of the Raman active modes reveals that the rare earth phonon is correlated with the transition temperature (Tc) and not with the amount of doping. As in the case of several other pnictides, the low temperature measurements indicate phonon modifications at much higher temperatures than Tc even in the superconducting compounds. The application of hydrostatic pressure indicates a nonlinear behavior of the rare earth phonon, which increases with doping and in the superconducting compounds correlates with modifications in Tc. The results are similar with those of the cuprates, where hydrostatic pressure has induced phonon and structure modifications at characteristic pressures where the Tc dependence on pressure is also modified. All results point to some role of the lattice for superconductivity in the pnictides.