Optical and transport properties of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ films

TL;DR

This study investigates the optical and transport properties of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ superconducting films, revealing multiple superconducting gaps, Fermi-liquid and non-Fermi-liquid behaviors, and insights into electron-boson interactions in multiband systems.

Contribution

First comprehensive optical and transport analysis of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ films highlighting multiband superconducting gaps and normal state behaviors.

Findings

Identification of two superconducting gaps with specific ratios.

Observation of Fermi-liquid and non-Fermi-liquid behaviors depending on Ni content.

Application of multiband Allen theory to normal state resistivity data.

Abstract

The broad-band optical spectroscopy was used to study the optical and the hidden transport properties of the Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ superconducting films with different Ni contents. The normal state data were analyzed using a Drude-Lorentz model with two Drude components: narrow and broad ones. In the superconducting state, two gaps with $2\Delta _{0}^{(1)}/k_{B}T_{c}=1.57$ and $2\Delta _{0}^{(2)}/k_{B}T_{c}=3.48$ are formed for the Ba(Fe$_{0.965}$Ni$_{0.035}$)$_2$As$_2$ films, while for the Ba(Fe$_{0.95}$Ni$_{0.05}$)$_2$As$_2$ films these characteristic ratios are 1.88--2.08 and 3.66--4.13. Both gaps are formed from the narrow Drude component, whereas the broad Drude component remains ungapped. The calculated from infrared data total dc resistivity of the films with Ni contents $x=0.05$ and $x=0.08$ as well as the low-temperature scattering rate for the narrow Drude component show a hidden Fermi-liquid behavior. On the contrary, the films with $x=0.035$ manifest a hidden non-Fermi-liquid behavior. The Allen theory generalized to a multiband systems was applied to the analysis of the temperature dependences of a resistivity of the Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ films. The change of total electron-boson coupling and representative energy in the normal state versus the superconducting state for this system was shown to be typical of other iron-based superconducting materials as well as high-temperature superconducting cuprates.