In Situ Local Imaging of Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in RbEuFe<sub>4</sub>As<sub>4</sub>
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- doe_osti · checked 2024-07-15
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The coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism is an intrinsically interesting research focus in condensed matter physics but the study is limited by low superconducting (T<sub>c</sub>) and magnetic (T<sub>m</sub>) transition temperatures in related materials. Here, we used a scanning superconducting quantum interference device to image the in-situ diamagnetic and ferromagnetic responses of RbEuFe<sub>4</sub>As<sub>4</sub> with high T<sub>c</sub> and T<sub>m</sub>. We observed significant suppression of superfluid density in vicinity of the magnetic phase transition, signifying fluctuation-enhanced magnetic scatterings between Eu spins and Fe 3d conduction electrons. Intriguingly, we observed multiple ferromagnetic domains which should be absent in an ideal magnetic helical phase. The formation of these domains demonstrates a weak c-axis ferromagnetic component probably arising from Eu spin-canting effect, indicative of possible superconductivity-driven domain Meissner and domain vortex-antivortex phases as revealed in EuFe<sub>2</sub>(As<sub>0.79</sub>P<sub>0.21</sub>)<sub>2</sub>. Finally, our observations highlight RbEuFe<sub>4</sub>As<sub>4</sub> is a unique system which includes multiple interplay channels between superconductivity and ferromagnetism.. Authors: Man, Huiyuan [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC] (ORCID:0000000265942651); Iguchi, Yusuke [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Science (SIMES)] (ORCID:0000000196954586); Bao, Jin-Ke [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000155223605); Chung, Duck Young [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)]; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)] (ORCID:0000000320374168). DOE Contract: AC02-06CH11357; AC02-76SF00515. Subjects: 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; ferromagnetic superconductor; magnetic domain; magnetic fluctuation; scanning SQUID microscopy; superfluid density