Symmetric and antisymmetric strain as continuous tuning parameters for electronic nematic order

Abstract

We report the separate response of the critical temperature of the nematic phase transition $T_{\rm S}$ to symmetric and antisymmetric strains for the prototypical underdoped iron pnictide Ba(Fe$_{0.975}$Co$_{0.025}$)$_2$As$_2$. This decomposition is achieved by comparing the response of $T_{\rm S}$ to uniaxial stress and hydrostatic pressure. In addition to quantifying the two distinct linear responses to symmetric strains, we find a quadratic variation of $T_{\rm S}$ as a response to antisymmetric strains $\epsilon_{\rm B_{1g}}$=$\frac{1}{2}$($\epsilon_{\rm xx}$-$\epsilon_{\rm yy}$), exceeding the non linear response to symmetric strains by at least two orders of magnitude. These observations establish orthogonal antisymmetric strain as a powerful tuning parameter for nematic order.