The dependence of the superconducting gaps in epitaxial
Ba(Fe_{1-x}Co_{x})_2As_2 thin films on the nominal doping x (0.04 \leq x \leq
0.15) was studied by means of point-contact Andreev-reflection spectroscopy.
The normalized conductance curves were well fitted by using the 2D
Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model with two nodeless, isotropic gaps -- although
the possible presence of gap anisotropies cannot be completely excluded. The
amplitudes of the two gaps \Delta_{S} and \Delta_{L} show similar monotonic
trends as a function of the local critical temperature T_{c}^{A} (measured in
the same point contacts) from 25 K down to 8 K. The dependence of the gaps on x
is well correlated to the trend of the critical temperature, i.e. to the shape
of the superconducting region in the phase diagram. When analyzed within a
simple three-band Eliashberg model, this trend turns out to be compatible with
a mechanism of superconducting coupling mediated by spin fluctuations, whose
characteristic energy scales with T_{c} according to the empirical law
\Omega_{0}= 4.65*k_{B}*T_{c}, and with a total electron-boson coupling strength
\lambda_{tot}= 2.22 for x \leq 0.10 (i.e. up to optimal doping) that slightly
decreases to \lambda_{tot}= 1.82 in the overdoped samples (x = 0.15).Comment: 8 pages, 5 color figure
