Iron based superconductors: magnetism, superconductivity and electronic structure

Angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) reveals the features of the electronic structure of quasi-two-dimensional crystals, which are crucial for the formation of spin and charge ordering and determine the mechanisms of electron-electron interaction, including the superconducting pairing. The newly discovered iron based superconductors (FeSC) promise interesting physics that stems, on one hand, from a coexistence of superconductivity and magnetism and, on the other hand, from complex multi-band electronic structure. In this review I want to give a simple introduction to the FeSC physics, and to advocate an opinion that all the complexity of FeSC properties is encapsulated in their electronic structure. For many compounds, this structure was determined in numerous ARPES experiments and agrees reasonably well with the results of band structure calculations. Nevertheless, the existing small differences may help to understand the mechanisms of the magnetic ordering and superconducting pairing in FeSC.Comment: Invited Revie

Excitonic BCS-BEC crossover at finite temperature: Effects of repulsion and electron-hole mass difference

The BCS to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) crossover of electron-hole (e-h) pairs in optically excited semiconductors is studied using the two-band Hubbard model with both repulsive and attractive interactions. Applying the self-consistent t-matrix approximation combined with a local approximation, we examine the properties of a normal phase and an excitonic instability. The transition temperature from the normal phase to an e-h pair condensed one is studied to clarify the crossover from an e-h BCS-like state to an excitonic Bose-Einstein condensation, which takes place on increasing the e-h attraction strength. To investigate effects of the repulsive interaction and the e-h mass difference, we calculate the transition temperature for various parameters of the interaction strengths, the e-h particle density, and the mass difference. While the transition temperature in the e-h BCS regime is sufficiently suppressed by the repulsive interaction, that of the excitonic BEC is largely insensitive to it. We also show quantitatively that in the whole regime the mass difference leads to large suppression of the transition temperature.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Flat bands as a route to high-temperature superconductivity in graphite

Superconductivity is traditionally viewed as a low-temperature phenomenon. Within the BCS theory this is understood to result from the fact that the pairing of electrons takes place only close to the usually two-dimensional Fermi surface residing at a finite chemical potential. Because of this, the critical temperature is exponentially suppressed compared to the microscopic energy scales. On the other hand, pairing electrons around a dispersionless (flat) energy band leads to very strong superconductivity, with a mean-field critical temperature linearly proportional to the microscopic coupling constant. The prize to be paid is that flat bands can generally be generated only on surfaces and interfaces, where high-temperature superconductivity would show up. The flat-band character and the low dimensionality also mean that despite the high critical temperature such a superconducting state would be subject to strong fluctuations. Here we discuss the topological and non-topological flat bands discussed in different systems, and show that graphite is a good candidate for showing high-temperature flat-band interface superconductivity.Comment: Submitted as a chapter to the book on "Basic Physics of functionalized Graphite", 21 pages, 12 figure

Electronic Structure, Local Moments and Transport in Fe_2VAl

Local spin density approximation calculations are used to elucidate electronic and magnetic properties of Heusler structure Fe_2VAl. The compound is found to be a low carrier density semimetal. The Fermi surface has small hole pockets derived from a triply degenerate Fe derived state at Gamma compensated by an V derived electron pocket at the X point. The ideal compound is found to be stable against ferromagnetism. Fe impurities on V sites, however, behave as local moments. Because of the separation of the hole and electron pockets the RKKY interaction between such local moments should be rapidly oscillating on the scale of its decay, leading to the likelihood of spin-glass behavior for moderate concentrations of Fe on V sites. These features are discussed in relation to experimental observations of an unusual insulating state in this compound.Comment: 16 pages, RevTeX, 5 figure

Pseudogap from ARPES experiment: three gaps in cuprates and topological superconductivity

A term first coined by Mott back in 1968 a `pseudogap' is the depletion of the electronic density of states at the Fermi level, and pseudogaps have been observed in many systems. However, since the discovery of the high temperature superconductors (HTSC) in 1986, the central role attributed to the pseudogap in these systems has meant that by many researchers now associate the term pseudogap exclusively with the HTSC phenomenon. Recently, the problem has got a lot of new attention with the rediscovery of two distinct energy scales (`two-gap scenario') and charge density waves patterns in the cuprates. Despite many excellent reviews on the pseudogap phenomenon in HTSC, published from its very discovery up to now, the mechanism of the pseudogap and its relation to superconductivity are still open questions. The present review represents a contribution dealing with the pseudogap, focusing on results from angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and ends up with the conclusion that the pseudogap in cuprates is a complex phenomenon which includes at least three different `intertwined' orders: spin and charge density waves and preformed pairs, which appears in different parts of the phase diagram. The density waves in cuprates are competing to superconductivity for the electronic states but, on the other hand, should drive the electronic structure to vicinity of Lifshitz transition, that could be a key similarity between the superconducting cuprates and iron based superconductors. One may also note that since the pseudogap in cuprates has multiple origins there is no need to recoin the term suggested by Mott.Comment: invited review, more info at http://www.imp.kiev.ua/~kor

Excitonic Correlations in the Intermetallic Fe2VAl

The intermetallic compound Fe2VAl looks non-metallic in transport and strongly metallic in thermodynamic and photoemission data. It has in its band structure a highly differentiated set of valence and conduction bands leading to a semimetallic system with a very low density of carriers. The pseudogap itself is due to interaction of Al states with the d orbitals of Fe and V, but the resulting carriers have little Al character. The effects of generalized gradient corrections to the local density band structure as well spin-orbit coupling are shown to be significant, reducing the carrier density by a factor of three. Doping of this nonmagnetic compound by 0.5 electrons per cell in a virtual crystal fashion results in a moment of 0.5 bohr magnetons and destroys the pseudogap. We assess the tendencies toward formation of an excitonic condensate and toward an excitonic Wigner crystal, and find both to be unlikely. We propose a model is which the observed properties result from excitonic correlations arising from two interpenetrating lattices of distinctive electrons (e_g on V) and holes (t_2g on Fe) of low density (one carrier of each sign per 350 formula units).Comment: 8 2-column pages, 8 postscript figure

Dynamical charge susceptibility in layered cuprates: the influence of screened inter-site Coulomb repulsion

The analytical expression for dynamical charge susceptibility in layered cuprates has been derived in the frame of singlet-correlated band model beyond random-phase-approximation (RPA) scheme. Our calculations performed near optimal doping regime show that there is a peak in real part of the charge susceptibility $\chi({\bf q},\omega)$ at {\bf Q} = ($\pi$, $\pi$) at strong enough inter-site Coulomb repulsion. Together with the strong maximum in the Im $\chi({\bf Q},\omega)$ at 15 meV it confirms the formation of low-energetic plasmons or charge fluctuations. This provides a jsutification that these excitations are important and together with a spin flcutuations can contribute to the Cooper pairing in layered cuprates. Analysing the charge susceptibilitiy with respect to an instability we obtain a new plasmon branch, $\omega_{\bf q}$, along the Brillouin Zone. In particular, we have found that it goes to zero near {\bf Q}$_{CDW} \approx (2\pi/3, 2\pi/3)$

Flat bands in topological media

Topological media are systems whose properties are protected by topology and thus are robust to deformations of the system. In topological insulators and superconductors the bulk-surface and bulk-vortex correspondence gives rise to the gapless Weyl, Dirac or Majorana fermions on the surface of the system and inside vortex cores. Here we show that in gapless topological media, the bulk-surface and bulk-vortex correspondence is more effective: it produces topologically protected gapless fermions without dispersion -- the flat band. Fermion zero modes forming the flat band are localized on the surface of topological media with protected nodal lines and in the vortex core in systems with topologically protected Fermi points (Weyl points). Flat band has an extremely singular density of states, and we show that this property may give rise in particular to surface superconductivity which could exist even at room temperature.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, version to appear in JETP Letter

High - Temperature Superconductivity in Iron Based Layered Compounds

We present a review of basic experimental facts on the new class of high - temperature superconductors - iron based layered compounds like REOFeAs (RE=La,Ce,Nd,Pr,Sm...), AFe_2As_2 (A=Ba,Sr...), AFeAs (A=Li,...) and FeSe(Te). We discuss electronic structure, including the role of correlations, spectrum and role of collective excitations (phonons, spin waves), as well as the main models, describing possible types of magnetic ordering and Cooper pairing in these compounds.Comment: 43 pages, 30 figures, review talk on 90th anniversary of Physics Uspekh

Intensification of data processing and obtaining new information on multidimensional signals of the "electronic nose"

This study describes the ways to optimize the stage of processing multidimensional data of simulation systems with an integrated analytical signal such as an electronic nose. Programming models are presented in Exel tables for calculating additional parameters of the qualitative composition of a mixture of gases and vapors. Programming spreadsheets greatly simplifies the processing of the initial data of a set of sensors and allows you to quickly get new parameters to characterize the composition of the smell of samples. The formulas for calculating 4 additional characteristics are presented: identification parameters of sorption, kinetic parameter, sorption parameter for 3 sensors, mass fraction of components, mainly sorbed on each sensor in the array of electronic nose, and Pearson's similarity parameter for sets of these characteristics in order to compare the multi-component composition of the odor analyzed samples. The example of analyzing the smell of human skin shows the possibility of developing software for personal devices. The software includes the calculation of the characteristics of the proposed models and the visualization of their sets for easy perception by untrained users. The software allows you to quickly process data from the device, to present the possible causes of the deviation of the state from the average statistical norms. For a set of identification parameters of sorption, the boundaries of numerical values are defined, which characterize the normal functioning of the organism as a whole, individual organs and systems. When a calculated parameter enters these boundaries in the state diagram, it is colored green. The numerical limits of parameters and for anomalous states are determined. When the values of the calculated parameters fall into these intervals, on the state sphere, the zones of the corresponding parameters are colored yellow or red.So, untrained users easily perceive information without complex processing of multi-dimensional data