Frustrated magnetism and quantum transitions of nematic phases in FeSe

ORAL

Abstract

The iron-based superconductivity has been known to develop near an antiferromagnetic order, but this paradigm apparently fails in FeSe. This system displays a nematic order while being non-magnetic. We show that the phase diagram of FeSe can be described by a quantum spin model with highly frustrated interactions. We perform density matrix renormalization group calculations on a frustrated spin-1 bilinear-biquadratic model on the square lattice, and find three stable phases breaking C4 rotational symmetry, including the antiferromagnetic states with wave vectors (0,π) and (π/2,π), and a (π,0) antiferroquadrupolar state. Tuning the ratio of competing interactions, we show quantum transitions from the (π,0) antiferroquadrupolar order to the (π,0) antiferromagnetic state, either directly or through the (π/2,π) antiferromagnetic order. Our findings explain the experimental observations of an orthorhombic antiferromagnetic order in the pressurized FeSe, and suggest that superconductivity in a wide range of iron-based materials has a common origin in the antiferromagnetic correlations of strongly correlated electrons.

*DOE BES Award # DE-SC0018197; NSF Grant DMR-1309531, 1350237 and 1157490; Robert A. Welch Foundation Grant C-1411 and 1818; XSEDE by NSF under Grants No. DMR160057.

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Presenters

  • Wenjun Hu

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Rice Univ
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice Univ

Authors

  • Wenjun Hu

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Rice Univ
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice Univ

  • Hsin-Hua Lai

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Rice Univ
    • Physics and Astronomy, and Rice Center for Quantum Materials, Rice University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice Univ

  • Shoushu Gong

    • Department of Physics, Beihang University
    • Beihang University
    • National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

  • Rong Yu

    • Renmin University
    • Renmin University of China
    • Department of Physics, Renmin University of China

  • Andriy Nevidomskyy

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice Univ
    • Rice University

  • Qimiao Si

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Rice Univ
    • Physics and Astronomy, Rice University
    • Rice Univ
    • Rice Universiry
    • Physics, Rice University
    • Rice University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy and Rice Center for Quantum Materials, Rice University
    • Physics and Astronomy, and Rice Center for Quantum Materials, Rice University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice Univ