Magnetic field detwinning in FeTe

Abstract

Iron-based superconductors (IBSs) possess nematic phases in which rotational symmetry of the electronic structure is spontaneously broken. This novel phase has attracted much attention as it is believed to be closely linked to the superconductivity. However, observation of the symmetry broken phase by using a macroscopic experimental tool is a hard task because of naturally formed twin domains. Here, we report on a novel detwinning method by using a magnetic field on FeTe single crystal. Detwinning effect was measured by resistivity anisotropy using the Montgomery method. Our results show that FeTe was detwinned at 2T, which is a relatively weak field compared to the previously reported result. Furthermore, detwinning effect is retained even when the field is turned off after field cooling, making it an external stimulation-free detwinning method.