Correlation-Driven Electronic Reconstruction in FeTe$_{1-x}$Se$_x$

TL;DR

This paper provides experimental and theoretical evidence for a correlation-driven Fermi surface reconstruction in FeTe$_{1-x}$Se$_x$, linked to an orbital-selective Mott transition affecting the $d_{xy}$ orbital as Se content varies.

Contribution

It reveals a novel correlation-driven Fermi surface reconstruction in iron chalcogenides, highlighting the role of orbital-selective Mott physics in these materials.

Findings

Fermi surface reconstruction driven by temperature and Se/Te ratio.

De-hybridization of the $d_{xy}$ orbital leads to an orbital-selective Mott phase.

Theoretical calculations support the experimental observations.

Abstract

Electronic correlation is of fundamental importance to high temperature superconductivity. While the low energy electronic states in cuprates are dominantly affected by correlation effects across the phase diagram, observation of correlation-driven changes in fermiology amongst the iron-based superconductors remains rare. Here we present experimental evidence for a correlation-driven reconstruction of the Fermi surface tuned independently by two orthogonal axes of temperature and Se/Te ratio in the iron chalcogenide family FeTe$_{1-x}$Se$_x$. We demonstrate that this reconstruction is driven by the de-hybridization of a strongly renormalized $d_{xy}$ orbital with the remaining itinerant iron 3$d$ orbitals in the emergence of an orbital-selective Mott phase. Our observations are further supported by our theoretical calculations to be salient spectroscopic signatures of such a non-thermal evolution from a strongly correlated metallic phase into an orbital-selective Mott phase in $d_{xy}$ as Se concentration is reduced.