2018, Baek, S.-H., Bhoi, D., Nam, W., Lee, B., Efremov, D.V., Büchner, B., Kim, K.H.

Strong interplay of spin and charge/orbital degrees of freedom is the fundamental characteristic of the iron-based superconductors (FeSCs), which leads to the emergence of a nematic state as a rule in the vicinity of the antiferromagnetic state. Despite intense debate for many years, however, whether nematicity is driven by spin or orbital fluctuations remains unsettled. Here, by use of transport, magnetization, and 75As nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements, we show a striking transformation of the relationship between nematicity and spin fluctuations (SFs) in Na1-x Li x FeAs; For x ≤ 0.02, the nematic transition promotes SFs. In contrast, for x ≥ 0.03, the system undergoes a non-magnetic phase transition at a temperature T 0 into a distinct nematic state that suppresses SFs. Such a drastic change of the spin fluctuation spectrum associated with nematicity by small doping is highly unusual, and provides insights into the origin and nature of nematicity in FeSCs.

2020, Chikina, A., Fedorov, A., Bhoi, D., Voroshnin, V., Haubold, E., Kushnirenko, Y., Kim, K.H., Borisenko, S.

The relationship between charge-density waves (CDWs) and superconductivity is a long-standing debate. Often observed as neighbors in phase diagrams, it is still unclear whether they cooperate, compete, or simply coexist. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we demonstrate here that by tuning the energy position of the van Hove singularity in Pd-doped 2H-TaSe2, one is able to suppress CDW and enhance superconductivity by more than an order of magnitude. We argue that it is particular fermiology of the material that is responsible for each phenomenon, thus explaining their persistent proximity as phases.