Effect of disorder on the resistivity anisotropy near the electronic nematic phase transition in pure and electron-doped BaFe$_2$As$_2$

Abstract

We show that the strain-induced resistivity anisotropy in the tetragonal state of the representative underdoped Fe-arsenides BaFe$_2$As$_2$, Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ and Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ is independent of disorder over a wide range of defect and impurity concentrations. This result demonstrates that the anisotropy in the in-plane resistivity in the paramagnetic orthorhombic state of this material is not due to elastic scattering from anisotropic defects, and is most easily understood in terms of an intrinsic anisotropy in the electronic structure.