Symmetry breaking via orbital-dependent reconstruction of electronic structure in uniaxially strained NaFeAs

Y. Zhang, C. He, Z. R. Ye, J. Jiang, F. Chen, M. Xu, Q. Q. Ge, B. P. Xie, J. Wei, M. Aeschlimann, X. Y. Cui, M. Shi, J. P. Hu, D. L. Feng

Published 2011-11-28Version 1

The superconductivity discovered in iron-pnictides is intimately related to a nematic ground state, where the C4 rotational symmetry is broken via the structural and magnetic transitions. We here study the nematicity in NaFeAs with the polarization dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. A uniaxial strain was applied on the sample to overcome the twinning effect in the low temperature C2-symmetric state, and obtain a much simpler electronic structure than that of a twinned sample. We found the electronic structure undergoes an orbital-dependent reconstruction in the nematic state, primarily involving the dxy- and dyz-dominated bands. These bands strongly hybridize with each other, inducing a band splitting, while the dxz-dominated bands only exhibit an energy shift without any reconstruction. These findings suggest that the development of orbital-dependent spin polarization is likely the dominant force to drive the nematicity, while the ferro-orbital ordering between dxz and dyz orbitals can only play a minor role here.