Quasiparticle interference of C2-symmetric surface states in LaOFeAs parent compound

Abstract

We present scanning tunneling microscopy studies of the LaOFeAs parent compound of iron pnictide superconductors. Topographic imaging reveals two types of atomically flat surfaces, corresponding to the exposed LaO layer and FeAs layer respectively. On one type of surface, we observe strong standing wave patterns induced by quasiparticle interference of two-dimensional surface states. The distribution of scattering wavevectors exhibits pronounced two-fold symmetry, consistent with the nematic electronic structure found in the Ca(Fe1-xCox)2As2 parent state.