Spin resonance in AFe2Se2 with s-wave pairing symmetry

Abstract

We study spin resonance in the superconducting state of recently discovered alkali-intercalated iron selenide materials A_xFe_(2-y)Se_2 (A=K,Rb,Cs) in which the Fermi surface has only electron pockets. Recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies [M. Xu et al., Phys. Rev. B 85, 220504(R) (2012)] were interpreted as strong evidence for s-wave gap in these materials, while the observation of the resonance peak in neutron scattering measurements [G. Friemel et al., Phys. Rev. B 85, 140511 (2012)] suggests that the gap must have different signs at Fermi surface points connected by the momentum at which the resonance has been observed. We consider recently proposed unconventional s+- superconducting state of A_xFe_(2-y)Se_2 with superconducting gap changing sign between the hybridized electron pockets. We argue that such a state supports a spin resonance. We compute the dynamical structure factor and show that it is consistent with the results of inelastic neutron scattering.