The delicate electronic and magnetic structure of the LaFePnO system (Pn = pnicogen)

Abstract

The occurrence of high-temperature superconductivity, and the competition with magnetism, in stoichiometric and doped LaFeAsO and isostructural iron oxypnictides is raising many fundamental questions about the electronic structure and magnetic interactions in this class of materials. There are now sufficient experimental data that it may be possible to identify the important issues whose resolution will lead to the understanding of this system. In this paper, we address a number of the important issues. One important characteristic is the Fe–As distance (or more abstractly the pnicogen (Pn) height z(Pn)); we present results for the effect of z(Pn) on the electronic structure, energetics and Fe magnetic moment. We also study LaFeAsO under pressure, and investigate the effects of both electron and hole doping within the virtual crystal approximation. The electric field gradients for all atoms in the LaFeAsO compound are presented (undoped and doped) and compared with available data. The observed (π, π, π) magnetic order is studied and compared with the computationally simpler (π, π, 0) order which is probably a very good model in most respects. We investigate the crucial role of the pnicogen atom in this class, and predict the structures and properties of the N and Sb counterparts that have not yet been reported experimentally. At a certain volume a gap opens at the Fermi level in LaFeNO, separating bonding from antibonding bands. This is the first evidence that this class of materials indeed has an underlying semimetallic character, and this separation suggests directions for a better simple understanding of the seemingly intricate electronic structure of this system. Finally, we address briefly differences resulting from substitution of post-lanthanum rare earth atoms, which have been observed to enhance the superconducting critical temperature substantially.