Theory of quantum phase transition in iron-based superconductors with half-Dirac nodal electron Fermi surface

Abstract

The quantum phase transition in iron-based superconductors with ‘half-Dirac’ node at the electron Fermi surface as a T=0 structural phase transition described in terms of nematic order is discussed. An effective low energy theory that describes half-Dirac nodal fermions and their coupling to Ising nematic order that describes the phase transition is derived and analyzed using renormalization group (RG) study of the large-Nf version of the theory. The inherent absence of Lorentz invariance of the theory leads to RG flow structure where the velocities vF and vΔ at the paired half-Dirac nodes (11¯ and 22¯) in general flow differently under RG, implying that the nodal electron gap is deformed and the C4 symmetry is broken, explaining the structural (orthogonal to orthorhombic) phase transition at the quantum critical point (QCP). The theory is found to have Gaussian fixed point λ∗=0,(vΔ/vF)∗=0 with stable flow lines toward it, suggesting a second order nematic phase transition. Interpreting the fermion–Ising nematic boson interaction as a decay process of nematic Ising order parameter scalar field fluctuations into half-Dirac nodal fermions, I find that the theory surprisingly behaves as systems with dynamical critical exponent z=1, reflecting undamped quantum critical dynamics and emergent fully relativistic field theory arising from the non(fully)-relativistic field theory and is direct consequence of (vΔ/vF)∗=0 fixed point. The nematic critical fluctuations lead to remarkable change to the spectral function peak where at a critical point λc, directly related to nematic QCP, the central spectral peak collapses and splits into satellite spectral peaks around nodal point. The vanishing of the zero modes density of states leads to the undamped z=1 quantum critical dynamics.