Strain Tuning Three-state Potts Nematicity in a Correlated Antiferromagnet

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2308.08734
• Publication Date: 2023-01-01
• Authors: Kyle Hwangbo; John Cenker; Elliott Rosenberg; Qianni Jiang; Haidan Wen; Di Xiao; Jiun-Haw Chu; Xiaodong Xu
• Keywords: Biaxial nematic

Electronic nematicity, a state in which rotational symmetry is spontaneously broken, has become familiar characteristic of many strongly correlated materials. One widely studied example the discovered Ising-nematicity and its interplay with superconductivity tetragonal iron pnictides. Since nematic directors crystalline solids are restricted by underlying crystal symmetry, recently identified quantum material systems three-fold (C$_3$) offer new platform to investigate order three-state Potts character. Here, we report reversible strain control nematicity zigzag antiferromagnetic insulator, FePSe$_3$. Probing via optical linear dichroism, demonstrate either $2{\pi}/3$ or ${\pi}/2$ rotation director uniaxial strain. The nature phase transition can also be controlled such that it undergoes smooth crossover transition, Ising flop transition. Further elastocaloric measurements signatures two coupled transitions, indicating vestigial arose from antiferromagnetism. ability tune in-situ further enables extraction susceptibility, exhibits divergent behavior near magnetic ordering temperature corroborated both dichroism measurements. Our work points an active approach manipulate explore