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The ${122}^{\ensuremath{\star}}$ series of iron chalcogenide superconductors, for example ${\mathrm{K}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$, only possesses electron Fermi pockets. Their distinctive electronic structure challenges the picture built upon iron pnictide superconductors, where both electron and hole Fermi pockets coexist. However, partly due to the intrinsic phase separation in this family of compounds, many aspects of their behavior remain elusive. In particular, the evolution of the ${122}^{\ensuremath{\star}}$ series of iron chalcogenides with chemical substitution still lacks a microscopic and unified interpretation. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we studied a major fraction of ${122}^{\ensuremath{\star}}$ iron chalcogenides, including the isovalently ``doped'' ${\mathrm{K}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2\ensuremath{-}z}{\mathrm{S}}_{z},{\mathrm{Rb}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2\ensuremath{-}z}{\mathrm{Te}}_{z}$, and ${(\text{Tl},\mathrm{K})}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2\ensuremath{-}z}{\mathrm{S}}_{z}$. We found that the bandwidths of the low energy Fe $3d$ bands in these materials depend on doping; and more crucially, as the bandwidth decreases, the ground state evolves from a metal to a superconductor, and eventually to an insulator, yet the Fermi surface in the metallic phases is unaffected by the isovalent dopants. Moreover, the correlation-driven insulator found here with small band filling may be a novel insulating phase. Our study shows that almost all the known ${122}^{\ensuremath{\star}}\text{-series}$ iron chalcogenides can be understood via one unifying phase diagram which implies that moderate correlation strength is beneficial for the superconductivity.

The electronic structure and orbital characters of iron-pnictide NaFeAs have been studied by polarization dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Some of the bands are mixed with the orbitals of opposite symmetries, which could be interpreted by the hybridization among the bands. According to the photon energy dependent experiment, the k z dispersions of the bands that cross the Fermi energy are weak in both paramagnetic and spin density wave states. However, a band well below the Fermi level shows a k z dispersion of 41 meV, which mainly contains the d z 2 orbital.

Pairing symmetry is a fundamental property that characterizes a superconductor. For the iron-based high-temperature superconductors, an s(±)-wave pairing symmetry has received increasing experimental and theoretical support. More specifically, the superconducting order parameter is an isotropic s-wave type around a particular Fermi surface, but it has opposite signs between the hole Fermi surfaces at the zone centre and the electron Fermi surfaces at the zone corners. Here we report the low-energy electronic structure of the newly discovered superconductors, A(x)Fe(2)Se(2) (A=K,Cs) with a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of about 30 K. We found A(x)Fe(2)Se(2) (A=K,Cs) is the most heavily electron-doped among all iron-based superconductors. Large electron Fermi surfaces are observed around the zone corners, with an almost isotropic superconducting gap of ~10.3 meV, whereas there is no hole Fermi surface near the zone centre, which demonstrates that interband scattering or Fermi surface nesting is not a necessary ingredient for the unconventional superconductivity in iron-based superconductors. Thus, the sign change in the s(±) pairing symmetry driven by the interband scattering as suggested in many weak coupling theories becomes conceptually irrelevant in describing the superconducting state here. A more conventional s-wave pairing is probably a better description.

${\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.95}{\mathrm{Na}}_{0.05}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$ is a titanium-based oxypnictide superconductor with possible density wave order. We have performed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies on ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.95}{\mathrm{Na}}_{0.05}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$. Our STM studies find a charge density wave (CDW) order with the wave vector of ($\ensuremath{\pi}, \ensuremath{\pi}$). The electronic structure shows both multiorbital and three-dimensional nature, consistent with the theoretical calculations. The observed Fermi surfaces are well nested along the ($\ensuremath{\pi}, \ensuremath{\pi}$) direction, which might drive the CDW transition. Likely due to the weak strength of the CDW order, we do not observe a leading-edge gap. Instead, we observe an overall spectral weight enhancement with decreasing temperature, but the rate of this enhancement is abruptly reduced or diminished in the CDW state, suggesting the suppression of spectral weight or opening of a partial CDW gap. Our results give a comprehensive picture of the electronic structure and direct observation of the CDW order in ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.95}{\mathrm{Na}}_{0.05}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$.

In iron-based superconductors, a spin-density-wave (SDW) magnetic order is suppressed with doping and unconventional superconductivity appears in close proximity to the SDW instability. The optical response of the SDW order shows clear gap features: substantial suppression in the low-frequency optical conductivity, alongside a spectral weight transfer from low to high frequencies. Here, we study the detailed temperature dependence of the optical response in three different series of the Ba122 system [Ba$_{1-x}$K$_{x}$Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$, Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ and BaFe$_{2}$(As$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$)$_{2}$]. Intriguingly, we found that the suppression of the low-frequency optical conductivity and spectral weight transfer appear at a temperature $T^{\ast}$ much higher than the SDW transition temperature $T_{SDW}$. Since this behavior has the same optical feature and energy scale as the SDW order, we attribute it to SDW fluctuations. Furthermore, $T^{\ast}$ is suppressed with doping, closely following the doping dependence of the nematic fluctuations detected by other techniques. These results suggest that the magnetic and nematic orders have an intimate relationship, in favor of the magnetic-fluctuation-driven nematicity scenario in iron-based superconductors., Comment: 6 pages 5 figures

Temperature and fluence dependence of the 1.55-eV optical transient reflectivity in ${\mathrm{BaFe}}_{2}({\mathrm{As}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{P}}_{x}{)}_{2}$ was measured and analyzed in the low and high excitation density limit. The effective magnitude of the superconducting gap of $\ensuremath{\sim}5$ meV obtained from the low-fluence-data bottleneck model fit is consistent with the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy results for the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$- and $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{hole}$ Fermi surfaces. The superconducting state nonthermal optical destruction energy was determined from the fluence dependent data. The planar optical destruction energy density scales well with ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}^{2}$ and is found to be similar in a number of different layered superconductors.

The effect of K, Co, and P dopings on the lattice dynamics in the ${{\mathrm{BaFe}}_{2}\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ system is studied by infrared spectroscopy. We focus on the phonon at $\ensuremath{\sim}253\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, the highest energy in-plane infrared-active Fe-As mode in ${{\mathrm{BaFe}}_{2}\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. Our studies show that Co and P dopings lead to a blueshift of this phonon in frequency, which can be simply interpreted by the change in lattice parameters induced by doping. In sharp contrast, an unusual redshift of the same mode was observed in the K-doped compound, at odds with the above explanation. This anomalous behavior in K-doped ${{\mathrm{BaFe}}_{2}\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ is more likely associated with the coupling between lattice vibrations and other channels, such as charge or spin. This coupling scenario is also supported by the asymmetric line shape and intensity growth of the phonon in the K-doped compound.

We have studied the low-lying electronic structure of a new ${\mathrm{ThCr}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$-type superconductor ${\mathrm{KNi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Three bands intersect the Fermi level, forming complicated Fermi surface topology, which is sharply different from its isostructural superconductor ${\mathrm{K}}_{x}\mathrm{Fe}{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}_{2\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$. The Fermi surface shows weak variation along the ${k}_{z}$ direction, indicating its quasi-two-dimensional nature. Further comparison with the density functional theory calculations demonstrates that there exist relatively weak correlations and substantial hybridization in the low-lying electronic structure. Our results indicate that the large density of states at the Fermi energy leads to the reported mass enhancement based on the specific heat measurements. Moreover, no anomaly is observed in the spectra when entering the fluctuating charge density wave state reported earlier.

We report the electronic structure reconstruction of ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Pr}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ in the low temperature collapsed tetragonal (CT) phase observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Different from $\mathrm{Ca}({\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{x}{)}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ and the annealed ${\mathrm{CaFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ where all hole Fermi surfaces are absent in their CT phases, the cylindrical hole Fermi surface still persists in the CT phase of ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Pr}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$. Furthermore, we found at least three well separated electronlike bands around the zone corner in the CT phase of ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Pr}}_{x}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}{\mathrm{As}}_{2}$, which are more dispersive than the electronlike bands in the high temperature tetragonal phase. Based on these observations, we propose that the weakening of correlations (as indicated by the reduced effective mass), rather than the lack of Fermi surface nesting, might be responsible for the absence of magnetic ordering and superconductivity in the CT phase.

The electronic structure of Na2Ti2Sb2O, a parent compound of the newly discovered titanium-based oxypnictide superconductors, is studied by photon energy and polarization dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). The obtained band structure and Fermi surface agree well with the band structure calculation of Na2Ti2Sb2O in the non-magnetic state, which indicating that there is no magnetic order in Na2Ti2Sb2O and the electronic correlation is weak. Polarization dependent ARPES results suggest the multi-band and multi-orbital nature of Na2Ti2Sb2O. Photon energy dependent ARPES results suggest that the electronic structure of Na2Ti2Sb2O is rather two-dimensional. Moreover, we find a density wave energy gap forms below the transition temperature and reaches 65 meV at 7 K, indicating that Na2Ti2Sb2O is likely a weakly correlated CDW material in the strong electron-phonon interaction regime., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a powerful technique that can directly probe the electronic structure of materials in the momentum space. With ultra-high energy and momentum resolutions, ARPES can help to understand how materials behave. Especially, for high-T C superconductors, the experimental results from ARPES, including the Fermi surface, band dispersion, energy kink, superconducting gap distribution, etc., serve as solid foundations for our understanding on the superconductivity.

The diversities in crystal structures and ways of doping result in extremely diversified phase diagrams for iron-based superconductors. With angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we have systematically studied the effects of chemical substitution on the electronic structure of various series of iron-based superconductors. Beyond the Fermi-surface alteration that has been reported most often in the past, we found two more extraordinary effects of doping: (1) the site and band dependencies of quasiparticle scattering and, more importantly, (2) the ubiquitous and significant change of electronic correlation by both isovalent and heterovalent dopants in the iron-anion layer. Moreover, we found that the electronic correlation could be suppressed by applying either the chemical pressure or doping electrons but not by doping holes. Together with other findings provided here, these results complete the microscopic picture of the electronic effects of dopants, which facilitates a unified understanding of the diversified phase diagrams and resolutions to many open issues of various iron-based superconductors.

${\mathrm{NdO}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{F}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$ is a new layered superconductor. We have studied the low-lying electronic structure of the single-crystalline ${\mathrm{NdO}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{F}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$ superconductor, whose superconducting transition temperature is 4.83 K, with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The Fermi surface consists of two small electron pockets around the $X$ point and shows little warping along the ${k}_{z}$ direction. Our results demonstrate the multiband and two-dimensional nature of the electronic structure. The comparison between the photoemission data and the band calculations gives the renormalization factor of $\ensuremath{\sim}$1.14, indicating the rather weak electron correlations in this material. Moreover, we found that the actual electron doping level and Fermi surface size are much smaller than what are expected from the nominal composition, which could be largely explained by the bismuth deficiency. The small Fermi pocket size and the weak electron correlations found here put strong constraints on theory, and suggest that the ${\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$-based superconductors could be conventional BCS superconductors mediated by the electron-phonon coupling.

We report the electronic structure of YbB6, a recently predicted moderately correlated topological insulator, measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We directly observed linearly dispersive bands around the time-reversal invariant momenta {\Gamma} and X with negligible kz dependence, consistent with odd number of surface states crossing the Fermi level in a Z2 topological insulator. Circular dichroism photoemission spectra suggest that these in-gap states possess chirality of orbital angular momentum, which is related to the chiral spin texture, further indicative of their topological nature. The observed insulating gap of YbB6 is about 100 meV, larger than that reported by theoretical calculations. Our results present strong evidence that YbB6 is a correlated topological insulator and provide a foundation for further studies of this promising material., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

SmB6, a well-known Kondo insulator, exhibits a transport anomaly at low temperature. This anomaly is usually attributed to states within the hybridization gap. Recent theoretical work and transport measurements suggest that these in-gap states could be ascribed to topological surface states, which would make SmB6 the first realization of topological Kondo insulator. Here by performing angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments, we directly observe several dispersive states within the hybridization gap of SmB6. These states show negligible kz dependence, which indicates their surface origin. Furthermore, we perform photoemission circular dichroism experiments, which suggest that the in-gap states possess chirality of the orbital angular momentum. These states vanish simultaneously with the hybridization gap at around 150 K. Together, these observations suggest the possible topological origin of the in-gap states., The Kondo insulator samarium hexaboride exhibits low-temperature transport anomalies, which might be due to topological surface states. Here Jiang et al. perform angle-resolved photoemission and its circular dichroism measurements, which suggest that the anomalies might be of topological origin.

The in-plane resistivity anisotropy has been studied with the Montgomery method on the detwinned parent compound of the iron-based superconductor FeTe. The observed resistivity in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) direction is larger than that in the ferromagnetic (FM) direction, which is different from that observed in BaFe${}_{2}$As${}_{2}$ before. We show that the opposite resistivity anisotropy behavior in FeTe could be attributed to the strong Hund's rule coupling effects, which should be understood in a localized picture: Hund's rule coupling makes hopping along the FM direction easier than along the AFM direction in FeTe, similar to the colossal magnetoresistance observed in some manganites.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has played an important role in determining the band structure and the superconducting gap structure of iron-based superconductors. Here from the ARPES perspective, we briefly review the main results from our group in the recent years on the iron-based superconductors and their parent compounds, and depict our current understanding on the antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in these materials., 13 pages, 17 figures, published on the "TOPICAL REVIEW: Iron-based high temperature superconductors" in Chinese Physics B Vol. 22, No. 8 (2013) 087407

The coexisting regime of spin density wave (SDW) and superconductivity in the iron pnictides represents a novel ground state. We have performed high resolution angle-resolved photoemission measurements on NaFe1-xCoxAs (x = 0.0175) in this regime and revealed its distinctive electronic structure, which provides some microscopic understandings of its behavior. The SDW signature and the superconducting gap are observed on the same bands, illustrating the intrinsic nature of the coexistence. However, because the SDW and superconductivity are manifested in different parts of the band structure, their competition is non-exclusive. Particularly, we found that the gap distribution is anisotropic and nodeless, in contrast to the isotropic superconducting gap observed in an SDW-free NaFe1-xCoxAs (x=0.045), which puts strong constraints on theory., 5 pages, 4 figures + supplementary information

The record of superconducting transition temperature(Tc) has long been 56K for the iron-based high temperature superconductors(Fe-HTS's). Recently, in single layer FeSe films grown on SrTiO3 substrate, signs for a new 65K Tc record are reported. Here with in-situ photoemission measurements, we substantiate the presence of the spin density wave(SDW) in FeSe films, a key ingredient of Fe-HTS that was missed in FeSe before, which weakens with increased thickness or reduced strain. We demonstrate that the superconductivity occurs when the electrons transferred from the oxygen-vacant substrate suppress the otherwise most pronounced SDW in single layer FeSe. Besides providing a comprehensive understanding of FeSe films and directions to further enhance its Tc, we establish the phase diagram of FeSe vs. lattice constant that contains all the essential physics of Fe-HTS's. With the simplest structure, cleanest composition and single tuning parameter, it is ideal for testing theories of Fe-HTS's., Comment: 6 pages,5 figures

BaFe${}_{2}$(As${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$P${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$ is a unique iron-based superconductor, where the superconductivity is induced by the isovalent substitution of phosphorus (P) for arsenic (As). Unlike other iron pnictides, the superconducting gap in BaFe${}_{2}$(As${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$P${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$ has been suggested to contain nodal lines by various experiments. The exact nature of the isovalent doping and nodal gap are key open issues in building a comprehensive picture of the iron-based superconductors. With angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we found that the P substitution in BaFe${}_{2}$(As${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$P${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$ alters the electronic structure significantly. With P doping, the hole and electron Fermi surface sheets expand simultaneously and the band velocities are enhanced indicating a suppression of electron correlations. Moreover, the P doping induces strong ${k}_{z}$ dispersion on the ${d}_{xz}$-originated band with significant mixing of the ${d}_{{z}^{2}}$ orbital around Z, while the ${d}_{xy}$-originated band and the electron pockets are relatively intact. These rule out theories suggesting that the nodal gap is due to the vanishing ${d}_{xy}$ hole pocket, while support those considering a ${d}_{{z}^{2}}$-dominated hole Fermi surface around Z being responsible. Our results are thus helpful to explain the nodal superconductivity in BaFe${}_{2}$(As${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$P${}_{x}$)${}_{2}$ and understand the role of lattice parameter or pressure effect in iron-based superconductors.

Although nodeless superconducting gap has been observed on the large Fermi pockets around the zone corner in KxFe2-ySe2, whether its pairing symmetry is s-wave or nodeless d-wave is still under intense debate. Here we report an isotropic superconducting gap distribution on the small electron Fermi pocket around the Z point in KxFe2-ySe2, which favors the s-wave pairing symmetry.

Superconductivity arises from pairing of mobile electrons. The symmetry of the electron-pair wave function contains important clues about the mechanism underlying the pairing. A Chinese-Korean experimental collaboration carries out element-selective substitutional doping of BaFe${}_{2}$As${}_{2}$ and searches for the pairing symmetry of the resulting iron-based superconductors.

The superconductivity discovered in iron pnictides is intimately related to a nematic ground state, where the C-4 rotational symmetry is broken via the structural and magnetic transitions. We here study the nematicity in NaFeAs with polarization-dependent

The nature of the parent compound of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) often plays a pivotal role in determining its superconductivity. The parent compounds of the cuprate HTSs are antiferromagnetically ordered Mott insulators, while those of the ir

The superconducting gap is a pivotal character for a superconductor. While the cuprates and conventional phonon-mediated superconductors are characterized by distinct d-wave and s-wave pairing symmetry with nodal and nodeless gap distribution respectively, the superconducting gap distributions in iron-based superconductors are rather diversified. While nodeless gap distributions have been directly observed in Ba1-xKxFe2As2, BaFe2-xCoxAs2, KxFe2-ySe2, and FeTe1-xSex, the signatures of nodal superconducting gap have been reported in LaOFeP, LiFeP, KFe2As2, BaFe2(As1-xPx)2, BaFe2-xRuxAs2 and FeSe. We here report the angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements on the superconducting gap structure of BaFe2(As1-xPx)2 in the momentum space, and particularly, the first direct observation of a circular line node on the largest hole Fermi surface around the Z point at the Brillouin zone boundary. Our data rules out the d-wave pairing origin of the nodal gap, and unify both the nodaland nodeless gaps in iron pnictides under the s\pm pairing symmetry., 6 pages, 4 figures with supplementary materials

Eu(Fe(0.79)Ru(0.21))2As2 is suggested to be a nodeless superconductor based on the empirical correlation between pnictogen height (hPn) and superconducting gap behavior, in contrast to BaFe2(As(0.7)P(0.3))2 and Ba(Fe(0.65)Ru(0.35))2As2. We studied the low-lying electronic structure of Eu(Fe(0.79)Ru(0.21))2As2 with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). By photon energy dependence and polarization dependence measurements, we resolved the band structure in the three-dimensional momentum space and determined the orbital character of each band. In particular, we found that the dz2 -originated ζ band does not contribute spectral weight to the Fermi surface around Z, unlike BaFe2(As(0.7)P(0.3))2 and Ba(Fe(0.65)Ru(0.35))2As2. Since BaFe2(As(0.7)P(0.3))2 and Ba(Fe(0.65)Ru(0.35))2As2 are nodal superconductors and their hPn's are less than 1.33 Å, while the hPn of Eu(Fe(0.79)Ru(0.21))2As2 is larger than 1.33 Å, our results provide more evidence for a direct relationship between nodes, dz2 orbital character and hPn. Our results help to provide an understanding of the nodal superconductivity in iron-based superconductors.

The observations reported in this communication were made in an animal model of ischemic stroke. This designation applies to a syndrome characterized by an abrupt, focal neurological deficit such as monocular blindness. In most instances, these events are thought to be secondary to the thromboembolic occlusion of a large artery. In Wistar rats, the prolonged occlusion of one middle cerebral artery (MCA) produces a brain lesion, which evolves through spongiosis, pannecrosis, and cavitation. A significantly different lesion affects the brain following a transient occlusion of the same artery. Selective neuronal necrosis, astroglial and microglial activation affect the striatum within 12–24 h of the injury. A much more delayed effect is visible in the cortex 3–4 days after the brief ischemic episode. This delayed injury affects only neurons scattered through layers 3–4 of the cortex and is accompanied by microglial activation. In this review, we examine the question: could this delayed cell death be mediated by the activation of caspases, i.e., apoptosis?

This study compared the relationships of the development of both Alzheimer I & II cells to reactive astrogliosis and also their distributional patterns in the demyelinated and non-demyelinated lesions in 6 cases of Wilson's disease by the use of PAP immunohistochemical technique for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The development of GFAP positive Alzheimer I (A-I) cells was found to be directly proportional to the capability of reactive astrogliosis, and inversely proportional to the severity of Alzheimer II (A-II) change. The GFAP negative A-II cells could be identified morphologically into 2 subtypes: one with well-developed nuclei, the other with “shrunken” nuclei. They were believed to stand for the “compensatory” and “decompensatory” stages of this dynamic astrogliotic process respectively. The distribution patterns of these 2 types of astrogliosis were different: A-I cells were found only in the regions of demyelination with intensive reactive astrogliosis, while A-II cells were found diffusely in both the grey and white matter, affecting both the protoplasmic and fibrous astrocytes without special predilection.