Competing Magnetic Fluctuations in Iron Pnictide Superconductors: Role of Ferromagnetic Spin Correlations Revealed by NMR

In the iron pnictide superconductors, theoretical calculations have consistently shown enhancements of the static magnetic susceptibility at both the stripe-type antiferromagnetic and in-plane ferromagnetic (FM) wave vectors. However, the possible existence of FM fluctuations has not yet been examined from a microscopic point of view. Here, using ⁷⁵As NMR data, we provide clear evidence for the existence of FM spin correlations in both the hole- and electron-doped BaFe₂As₂ families of iron-pnictide superconductors. These FM fluctuations appear to compete with superconductivity and are thus a crucial ingredient to understanding the variability of Tc and the shape of the superconducting dome in these and other iron-pnictide families.