Evidence of a spin resonance mode in the iron-based superconductor Ba(0.6)K(0.4)Fe2As2 from scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Jun 1;108(22):227002. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.227002. Epub 2012 May 31.

Abstract

We used high-resolution scanning tunneling spectroscopy to study the hole-doped iron pnictide superconductor Ba(0.6)K(0.4)Fe(2)As(2) (T(c)=38 K). Features of a bosonic excitation (mode) are observed in the measured quasiparticle density of states. The bosonic features are intimately associated with the superconducting order parameter and have a mode energy of ~14 meV, similar to the spin resonance measured by inelastic neutron scattering. These results indicate a strong electron-spin excitation coupling in iron pnictide superconductors, similar to that in high-T(c) copper oxide superconductors.