Unexpected Enhancement of Three-Dimensional Low-Energy Spin Correlations in Quasi-Two-Dimensional Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{1-x}$Se$_{x}$ System at High Temperature

Abstract

We report inelastic neutron scattering measurements of low energy ($\hbar \omega < 10$ meV) magnetic excitations in the "11" system Fe$_{1+y}$Te$_{1-x}$Se$_{x}$. The spin correlations are two-dimensional (2D) in the superconducting samples at low temperature, but appear much more three-dimensional when the temperature rises well above $T_c \sim 15$ K, with a clear increase of the (dynamic) spin correlation length perpendicular to the Fe planes. The spontaneous change of dynamic spin correlations from 2D to 3D on warming is unexpected and cannot be naturally explained when only the spin degree of freedom is considered. Our results suggest that the low temperature physics in the "11" system, in particular the evolution of low energy spin excitations towards %better satisfying the nesting condition for mediating superconducting pairing, is driven by changes in orbital correlations.