Anisotropic Energy Gaps of Iron-based Superconductivity from Intra-band Quasiparticle Interference in LiFeAs


Abstract in English

If strong electron-electron interactions between neighboring Fe atoms mediate the Cooper pairing in iron-pnictide superconductors, then specific and distinct anisotropic superconducting energy gaps Delta_i(k) should appear on the different electronic bands i. Here we introduce intra-band Bogoliubov quasiparticle scattering interference (QPI) techniques for determination of Delta_i(k) in such materials, focusing on LiFeAs. We identify the three hole-like bands assigned previously as gamma, alpha_2 and alpha_1, and we determine the anisotropy, magnitude and relative orientations of their Delta_i(k). These measurements will advance quantitative theoretical analysis of the mechanism of Cooper pairing in iron-based superconductivity.

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