Measurement of the elastoresistivity coefficients of the underdoped iron-arsenide Ba(Fe$_{0.975}$Co$_{0.025}$)$_2$As$_2$

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to measure elastoresistivity tensor components in tetragonal single crystals, applied to underdoped Ba(Fe,Co)2As2, revealing large anisotropic elastoresistance and insights into its structural phase transition.

Contribution

A novel measurement technique for elastoresistivity tensors is developed and applied to Ba(Fe,Co)2As2, providing new understanding of its structural transition behavior.

Findings

Large, anisotropic elastoresistance observed in Ba(Fe,Co)2As2.

The $m_{66}$ coefficient exhibits Curie-Weiss temperature dependence.

Structural transition is pseudo-proper, not ferro-elastic.

Abstract

A new method is presented for measuring terms in the elastoresistivity tensor $m_{ij}$ of single crystal samples with tetragonal symmetry. The technique is applied to a representative underdoped Fe-arsenide, Ba(Fe$_{0.975}$Co$_{0.025}$)$_2$As$_2$, revealing an anomalously large and anisotropic elastoresistance in comparison to simple metals. The $m_{66}$ coefficient follows a Curie-Weiss temperature dependence, providing direct evidence that the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural phase transition that occurs at $T_s$ = 97.5 K in this material is not the result of a true-proper ferro-elastic transition. Rather, the material suffers a pseudo-proper transition for which the lattice strain is not the primary order parameter.