Splitting of resonance excitations in nearly optimally doped Ba(Fe0.94Co0.06)2As2: an inelastic neutron scattering study with polarization analysis

Abstract

Magnetic excitations in Ba(Fe0.94Co0.06)2As2 are studied by polarized inelastic neutron scattering (INS) above and below the superconducting transition. In the superconducting state we find clear evidence for two resonance-like excitations. At a higher energy of about 8 meV there is an isotropic resonance mode with weak dispersion along the c-direction. In addition we find a lower excitation at 4 meV that appears only in the c-polarized channel and whose intensity strongly varies with the L-component of the scattering vector. These resonance excitations behave remarkably similar to the gap modes in the antiferromagnetic phase of the parent compound BaFe2As2.