Correlation-driven metal-insulator transition in proximity to an iron-based superconductor

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dc.citation.articleNumber195121
dc.citation.issueNumber19
dc.citation.journalTitlePhysical Review B
dc.citation.volumeNumber96
dc.contributor.authorCharnukha, A.
dc.contributor.authorYin, Z.P.
dc.contributor.authorSong, Y.
dc.contributor.authorCao, C.D.
dc.contributor.authorDai, Pengcheng
dc.contributor.authorHaule, K.
dc.contributor.authorKotliar, G.
dc.contributor.authorBasov, D.N.
dc.date.accessioned2017-12-21T18:21:52Z
dc.date.available2017-12-21T18:21:52Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractWe report the direct spectroscopic observation of a metal to correlated-insulator transition in the family of iron-based superconducting materials. By means of optical spectroscopy we demonstrate that the excitation spectrum of NaFe1−xCuxAs develops a large gap with increasing copper substitution. Dynamical mean-field theory calculations show a good agreement with the experimental data and suggest that the formation of the charge gap requires an intimate interplay of strong on-site electronic correlations and spin-exchange coupling, revealing the correlated Slater-insulator nature of the antiferromagnetic ground state. Our calculations further predict the high-temperature paramagnetic state of the same compound to be a highly incoherent correlated metal. We verify this prediction experimentally by showing that the doping-induced weakening of antiferromagnetic correlations enables a thermal crossover from an insulating to an incoherent metallic state. Redistribution of the optical spectral weight in this crossover uncovers the characteristic energy of Hund's-coupling and Mott-Hubbard electronic correlations essential for the electronic localization. Our results demonstrate that NaFe1−xCuxAs continuously transitions from the typical itinerant phases of iron pnictides to a highly incoherent metal and ultimately a correlated insulator. Such an electronic state is expected to favor high-temperature superconductivity.
dc.identifier.citationCharnukha, A., Yin, Z.P., Song, Y., et al.. "Correlation-driven metal-insulator transition in proximity to an iron-based superconductor." <i>Physical Review B,</i> 96, no. 19 (2017) American Physical Society: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.195121.
dc.identifier.digitalPhysRevB-96-195121
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.195121
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/98916
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherAmerican Physical Society
dc.rightsArticle is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
dc.titleCorrelation-driven metal-insulator transition in proximity to an iron-based superconductor
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.publicationpublisher version
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