Magnetic Field-Induced Spin Nematic Phase Up to Room Temperature in Epitaxial Antiferromagnetic FeTe Thin Films Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Abstract

Electronic nematicity, where strong correlations drive electrons to align in a way that lowers the crystal symmetry, is ubiquitous among unconventional superconductors. Understanding the interplay of such a nematic state with other electronic phases underpins the complex behavior of these materials and the potential for tuning their properties through external stimuli. Here, we report magnetic field-induced spin nematicity in a model system tetragonal FeTe, the parent compound of iron chalcogenide superconductors, which exhibits a bicollinear antiferromagnetic order. The studies were conducted on epitaxial FeTe thin films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, where the bicollinear antiferromagnetic order was confirmed by in situ atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy imaging. A 2-fold anisotropy is observed in in-plane angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements, indicative of magnetic field-induced nematicity. Such 2-fold anisotropy persists up to 300 K, well-above the bicollinear antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of 75 K, indicating a magnetic field-induced spin nematic phase up to room temperature in the antiferromagnet FeTe.