Elastoresistive and Elastocaloric Anomalies at Magnetic and Electronic-Nematic Critical Points

TL;DR

This study investigates anomalies in elastoresistance and elastocaloric effects at magnetic and electronic-nematic critical points in Ba(Fe$_{0.975}$Co$_{0.025}$)$_2$As$_{2}$, revealing strain effects on transition temperatures and confirming the Fisher-Langer relation near critical transitions.

Contribution

It demonstrates how strain influences transition temperatures and provides evidence for the Fisher-Langer relation near critical points in a specific iron-based superconductor.

Findings

Anomalies in elastoresistance and elastocaloric effects at phase transitions.

Strain effects mimic temperature derivatives of resistivity near critical points.

Fisher-Langer relation holds near Néel and nematic transitions.

Abstract

Using Ba(Fe$_{0.975}$Co$_{0.025}$)$_2$As$_{2}$ as an exemplar material exhibiting second order electronic-nematic and antiferromagnetic transitions, we present measurements that reveal anomalies in the elastoresistance $\left(\frac{\partial \rho_{ij}}{\partial\varepsilon_{kl}}\right)$ and elastocaloric effect $\left(\frac{\partial T}{\partial\varepsilon_{kl}}\right)$ at both phase transitions. Both effects are understood to arise from the effect of strain on the transition temperatures; in the region close to the phase transitions this leads to (1) similarity between the strain and temperature derivatives of the resistivity and (2) similarity between the elastocaloric effect and the singular part of the specific heat. These mechanisms for elastoresistance and elastocaloric effect should be anticipated for any material in which mechanical deformation changes the transition temperature. Furthermore, these measurements provide evidence that the Fisher-Langer relation $\rho^{(c)} \propto U^{(c)}$ between the scattering from critical degrees of freedom and their energy-density, respectively, holds near each of the Ne\'{e}l and electronic nematic transitions in the material studied.