Nematic order in the vicinity of a vortex in superconducting FeSe

ORAL

Abstract

We present a phenomenological theory of the interplay between nematic order and superconductivity in the vicinity of a vortex induced by an applied magnetic field [1]. Nematic order can be strongly enhanced in the vortex core. As a result, the vortex cores become elliptical in shape. For the case where there is weak bulk nematic order at zero magnetic field, the field-induced eccentricity of the vortex core has a slow power-law decay away from the core. Conversely, if the nematic order is field induced, then the eccentricity is confined to the vortex core. We discuss the relevance of our results to recent scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on FeSe [2]. \\[4pt] [1] D. Chowdhury, E. Berg and S. Sachdev, to appear in Phys. Rev. B, arXiv: 1109.2600 (2011).\\[0pt] [2] Can- Li Song et al., Science 332, 1410 (2011).

Authors

  • Debanjan Chowdhury

    Department of Physics, Harvard University

  • Erez Berg

    Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA, Department of Physics, Harvard University, Harvard University, Harvard

  • Subir Sachdev

    Harvard University, Department of Physics, Harvard University