Stripe Antiferromagnetic Spin Fluctuations in SrCo2As2

Inelastic neutron scattering measurements of paramagnetic SrCo2As2 at T = 5 K reveal antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin fluctuations that are peaked at a wave vector of Q(AFM) = (1/2, 1/2, 1) and possess a large energy scale. These stripe spin fluctuations are similar to those found in AFe(2)As(2) compounds, where spin-density wave AFM is driven by Fermi surface nesting between electron and hole pockets separated by Q(AFM). SrCo2As2 has a more complex Fermi surface and band-structure calculations indicate a potential instability toward either a ferromagnetic or stripe AFM ground state. The results suggest that stripe AFM magnetism is a general feature of both iron and cobalt-based arsenides and the search for spin fluctuation-induced unconventional superconductivity should be expanded to include cobalt-based compounds.