What is the true parent state in alkali-doped Iron Selenides

By performing first-principles electronic structure calculations and analyzing effective magnetic model of alkali-doped iron selenides, we show that the materials without iron vacancies should approach a novel checkerboard phase in which each four Fe sites group together in tetragonal structure. The checkerboard phase is the ground state with a block antiferromagnetic (AFM) order and a small charge density wave order in the absence of superconductivity. Both of them can also coexist with superconductivity. The results explain mysterious 2 by 2 ordered patterns and hidden orders observed in various different experiments, clarify the missing link between AFM and superconducting phases, suggest that the block-AFM state is the parent state, and unify the understanding of various observed phases in alkali-doped iron selenides. (Reference: Wei Li, et al, arxiv:1110.0372 (2011)