Theory of fluctuation conductivity from interband pairing in pnictide superconductors

We derive the effective action for superconducting fluctuations in a four-band model for pnictides, discussing the emergence of a single critical mode out of a dominant interband pairing mechanism. We then apply our model to calculate the paraconductivity in two-dimensional and layered three-dimensional systems, and compare our results with recent resistivity measurements in SmFeAsOFComment: 4 pages, 1 figure; final versio

Unconventional Hall effect in pnictides from interband interactions

We calculate the Hall transport in a multiband systems with a dominant interband interaction between carriers having electron and hole character. We show that this situation gives rise to an unconventional scenario, beyond the Boltzmann theory, where the quasiparticle currents dressed by vertex corrections acquire the character of the majority carriers. This leads to a larger (positive or negative) Hall coefficient than what expected on the basis of the carrier balance, with a marked temperature dependence. Our results explain the puzzling measurements in pnictides and they provide a more general framework for transport properties in multiband materials.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Orbital mismatch boosting nematic instability in iron-based superconductors

We derive the effective action for the collective spin modes in iron-based superconductors. We show that, due to the orbital-selective nature of spin fluctuations, the magnetic and nematic instabilities are controlled by the degrees of orbital nesting between electron and hole pockets. Within a prototypical three-pocket model the hole-electron orbital mismatch is found to boost spin-nematic order. This explains the enhancement of nematic order in FeSe as compared to 122 compounds, and its suppression under pressure, where the emergence of the second hole pocket compensates the orbital mismatch of the three-pocket configuration

Synergy between Hund-Driven Correlations and Boson-Mediated Superconductivity

Multiorbital systems such as the iron-based superconductors provide a new avenue to attack the long-standing problem of superconductivity in strongly correlated systems. In this work we study the superconductivity driven by a generic bosonic mechanism in a multiorbital model including the full dynamical electronic correlations induced by the Hubbard U and the Hund's coupling. We show that superconductivity survives much more in a Hund's metal than in an ordinary correlated metal with the same degree of correlation. The redistribution of spectral weight characteristic of the Hund's metal reflects also in the enhancement of the orbital-selective character of the superconducting gaps, in agreement with experiments in iron-based superconductors

Electronic correlations in Hund metals

To clarify the nature of correlations in Hund metals and its relationship with Mott physics we analyze the electronic correlations in multiorbital systems as a function of intraorbital interaction U, Hund's coupling JH, and electronic filling n. We show that the main process behind the enhancement of correlations in Hund metals is the suppression of the double occupancy of a given orbital, as it also happens in the Mott insulator at half-filling. However, contrary to what happens in Mott correlated states the reduction of the quasiparticle weight Z with JH can happen in spite of increasing charge fluctuations. Therefore, in Hund metals the quasiparticle weight and the mass enhancement are not good measurements of the charge localization. Using simple energetic arguments we explain why the spin polarization induced by Hund's coupling produces orbital decoupling. We also discuss how the behavior at moderate interactions, with correlations controlled by the atomic spin polarization, changes at large U and JH due to the proximity to a Mott insulating state

Anisotropy of the dc conductivity due to orbital-selective spin fluctuations in the nematic phase of iron superconductors

We study the dc conductivity of iron-based superconductors within the orbital-selective spin fluctuation scenario. Within this approach, the anisotropy of spin fluctuations below the spin-nematic transition at TS is also responsible for the orbital ordering, induced by nematic self-energy corrections to the quasiparticle dispersion. As a consequence, the anisotropy of the dc conductivity below TS is determined not only by the anisotropy of the scattering rates as expected within a spin-nematic scenario, but also by the modification of the Fermi velocity due to the orbital reconstruction. More interestingly, it turns out that these two effects contribute to the dc-conductivity anisotropy with opposite signs. By using realistic band-structure parameters we compute the conductivity anisotropy for both 122 and FeSe compounds, discussing the possible origin of the different dc-conductivity anisotropy observed experimentally in these two families of iron-based superconductors

Nematic pairing from orbital-selective spin fluctuations in FeSe

FeSe is an intriguing iron-based superconductor. It presents an unusual nematic state without magnetism and can be tuned to increase the critical superconducting temperature. Recently it has been observed a noteworthy anisotropy of the superconducting gaps. Its explanation is intimately related to the understanding of the nematic transition itself. Here, we show that the spin-nematic scenario driven by orbital-selective spin fluctuations provides a simple scheme to understand both phenomena. The pairing mediated by anisotropic spin modes is not only orbital selective but also nematic, leading to stronger pair scattering across the hole and X electron pocket. The delicate balance between orbital ordering and nematic pairing points also to a marked k z dependence of the hole\u2013gap anisotropy

Anisotropy of the superconducting fluctuations in multiband superconductors: The case of LiFeAs

Between the different families of pnictide multiband superconductors, LiFeAs is probably one of the less understood. Indeed, despite the large amount of experiments performed in the last few years on this material, no consensus has been reached yet on the possible pairing mechanism at play in this system. Here we focus on the precursor effects of superconductivity visible in the transport experiments performed above Tc. By analyzing the superconducting fluctuations in a layered multiband model appropriate for this material, we argue that the strong two-dimensional character of the paraconductivity above Tc points towards a significant modulation of the pairing interactions along the z direction. We also discuss the peculiar differences between single-band and multi-band superconductors for what concerns the anisotropy of the superconducting-fluctuations effects above and below Tc

Charge Disproportionation, Mixed Valence, and Janus Effect in Multiorbital Systems: A Tale of Two Insulators

Multiorbital Hubbard models host strongly correlated "Hund's metals" even for interactions much stronger than the bandwidth. We characterize this interaction-resilient metal as a mixed-valence state. In particular, it can be pictured as a bridge between two strongly correlated insulators: a high-spin Mott insulator and a charge-disproportionated insulator which is stabilized by a very large Hund's coupling. This picture is confirmed comparing models with negative and positive Hund's coupling for different fillings. Our results provide a characterization of the Hund's metal state and connect its presence with charge disproportionation, which has indeed been observed in chromates and proposed to play a role in iron-based superconductors