Direct Visualization of a Static Incommensurate Antiferromagnetic Order by Suppressing the Superconducting Phase Coherence in Fe-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta

TL;DR

This study uses spin polarized scanning tunneling microscopy to directly visualize incommensurate antiferromagnetic order near Fe impurities in optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+{ extdelta}, revealing their coexistence with suppressed superconductivity.

Contribution

First direct visualization of incommensurate antiferromagnetic order in cuprates near Fe impurities, linking AF fluctuations with superconductivity suppression.

Findings

Fe impurities pin short-range AF order

Superconducting coherence peaks are suppressed near Fe impurities

AF order persists despite superconductivity suppression

Abstract

In cuprate superconductors, due to strong electronic correlations, there are multiple intertwined orders which either coexist or compete with superconductivity. Among them the antiferromagnetic (AF) order is the most prominent one. In the region where superconductivity sets in, the long-range AF order is destroyed. Yet the residual short-range AF fluctuations are present up to a much higher doping and their role in the emergence of the superconducting phase is still highly debated. Here, by using a spin polarized scanning tunneling microscope, for the first time, we directly visualize an emergent incommensurate AF order in the nearby region of Fe impurities embedded in the optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+{\delta} (Bi2212). Remarkably the Fe impurities suppress the superconducting coherence peaks with the gapped feature intact, but pin down the ubiquitous short-range incommensurate AF order. Our work shows an intimate relation between antiferromagnetism and superconductivity.