Nematic orders in Iron-based superconductors

TL;DR

This paper reviews the evidence and theories of nematic order in iron-based superconductors, emphasizing spin-driven mechanisms and their implications for understanding symmetry breaking in these materials.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of nematic behaviors and the underlying spin-driven mechanisms in iron-pnictides and extends the discussion to iron-chalcogenides.

Findings

Evidence supports spin-driven nematicity in iron-pnictides

Theories explain symmetry breaking and nematic development

Generalization of nematicity mechanisms to iron-chalcogenides

Abstract

In the newly discovered iron-based superconductors, many experiments have demonstrated the existence of the rotational symmetry breaking nematic order, which has been a prevailing phenomenon in many correlated electronic systems. In this paper, we review nematic behaviors in iron-pnictides and the mechanism behind the development of the nematic order. We discuss evidences that support the spin-driven nematicity in iron-pnictides. Theories, results and predictions will be discussed based on this picture. We also briefly discuss the generalization of this theory to the nematicity in iron-chalcogenides.