Fragile Pressure-Induced Magnetism in FeSe Superconductors with a Thickness Reduction

The emergence of high transition temperature (T-c) superconductivity in bulk FeSe under pressure is associated with the tuning of nematicity and magnetism. However, sorting out the relative contributions from magnetic and nematic fluctuations to the enhancement of T-c remains challenging. Here, we design and conduct a series of highpressure experiments on FeSe thin flakes. We find that as the thickness decreases the nematic phase boundary on temperature-pressure phase diagrams remains robust while the magnetic order is significantly weakened. A local maximum of T-c is observed outside the nematic phase region, not far from the extrapolated nematic end point in all samples. However, the maximum T-c value is reduced associated with the weakening of magnetism. No high-T-c phase is observed in the thinnest sample. Our results strongly suggest that nematic fluctuations alone can only have a limited effect while magnetic fluctuations are pivotal on the enhancement of T-c in FeSe.

Automated summary

Through a series of high-pressure experiments on FeSe thin flakes, it was found that the nematic phase boundary remains robust while the magnetic order is weakened as the thickness decreases. A local maximum of Tc is observed in all samples, but the maximum value is reduced as magnetism weakens.