Bound states of defects in superconducting LiFeAs studied by scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Abstract

Defects in LiFeAs are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STS). Topographic images of the five predominant defects allow the identification of their positions within the lattice. The most commonly observed defect is associated with an Fe site and does not break the local lattice symmetry, exhibiting a bound state near the edge of the smaller gap in this multigap superconductor. Three other common defects, including one also on an Fe site, are observed to break local lattice symmetry and are pair breaking, indicated by clear in-gap bound states, in addition to states near the smaller gap edge. STS maps reveal complex, extended real-space bound-state patterns, including one with a chiral distribution of the local density of states. The multiple bound-state resonances observed within the gaps and at the inner gap edge are consistent with theoretical predictions for the $s$${}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$ gap symmetry proposed for LiFeAs and other iron pnictides.