Acoustic and optical phonon dynamics from femtosecond time-resolved optical spectroscopy of superconducting iron pnictide Ca(Fe_0.944Co_0.056)_2As_2

We report temperature evolution of coherently excited acoustic and optical phonon dynamics in superconducting iron pnictide single crystal Ca(Fe_0.944Co_0.056)_2As_2 across the spin density wave transition at T_SDW ~ 85 K and superconducting transition at T_SC ~20 K. Strain pulse propagation model applied to the generation of the acoustic phonons yields the temperature dependence of the optical constants, and longitudinal and transverse sound velocities in the temperature range of 3.1 K to 300 K. The frequency and dephasing times of the phonons show anomalous temperature dependence below T_SC indicating a coupling of these low energy excitations with the Cooper-pair quasiparticles. A maximum in the amplitude of the acoustic modes at T ~ 170 is seen, attributed to spin fluctuations and strong spin-lattice coupling before T_SDW.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (revised manuscript

Ultrafast quasiparticle dynamics in superconducting iron pnictide CaFe1.89Co0.11As2

Nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation dynamics is reported in superconducting CaFe1.89Co0.11As2 single crystal using femtosecond time-resolved pump-probe spectroscopy. The carrier dynamics reflects a three-channel decay of laser deposited energy with characteristic time scales varying from few hundreds of femtoseconds to order of few nanoseconds where the amplitudes and time-constants of the individual electronic relaxation components show significant changes in the vicinity of the spin density wave (T_SDW ~ 85 K) and superconducting (T_SC ~ 20 K) phase transition temperatures. The quasiparticles dynamics in the superconducting state reveals a charge gap with reduced gap value of 2$\Delta$_0/k_BT_SC ~ 1.8. We have determined the electron-phonon coupling constant \lemda to be ~ 0.14 from the temperature dependent relaxation time in the normal state, a value close to those reported for other types of pnictides. From the peculiar temperature-dependence of the carrier dynamics in the intermediate temperature region between the superconducting and spin density wave phase transitions, we infer a temperature scale where the charge gap associated with the spin ordered phase is maximum and closes on either side while approaching the two phase transition temperatures.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (revised manuscript); http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2013.02.00

Spin reorientation in Na-doped BaFe2_2As2_2 studied by neutron diffraction

We have studied the magnetic ordering in Na doped BaFe$_2$As$_2$ by unpolarized and polarized neutron diffraction using single crystals. Unlike previously studied FeAs-based compounds that magnetically order, Ba$_{1-x}$Na$_x$Fe$_2$As$_2$ exhibits two successive magnetic transitions: For x=0.35 upon cooling magnetic order occurs at $\sim$70\ K with in-plane magnetic moments being arranged as in pure or Ni, Co and K-doped BaFe$_2$As$_2$ samples. At a temperature of $\sim$46\ K a second phase transition occurs, which the single-crystal neutron diffraction experiments can unambiguously identify as a spin reorientation. At low temperatures, the ordered magnetic moments in Ba$_{0.65}$Na$_{0.35}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ point along the $c$ direction. Magnetic correlations in these materials cannot be considered as Ising like, and spin-orbit coupling must be included in a quantitative theory.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Poly[[tetra­kis­(μ2-pyrazine N,N′-dioxide-κ2 O:O′)holmium(III)] tris­(perchlorate)]

The title three-dimensional coordination network, {[Ho(C4H4N2O2)4](ClO4)3}n, is isostructural to that of other lanthanides. The Ho+3 cation lies on a fourfold roto-inversion axis. It is coordinated in a distorted square anti-prismatic fashion by eight O atoms from bridging pyrazine N,N′-dioxide ligands. There are two unique pyrazine N,N′-dioxide ligands. One ring is located around an inversion center, and there is a a twofold rotation axis at the center of the other ring. There are also two unique perchlorate anions. One is centered on a twofold rotation axis and the other on a fourfold roto-inversion axis. The perchlorate anions are located in channels that run perpendicular to (001) (110) and inter­act with the coordination network through C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds