Evolution of pairing symmetry in as probed by in-plane strain tuning of
Phys. Rev. B 112, 094514 – Published 18 September, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/f6jb-yvyj
Abstract
In iron-based superconductors (FeSCs), the interplay between electronic nematicity and superconductivity is essential for understanding the exotic superconducting ground state. In the nematic regime, in-plane strain () tuning of the superconducting transition temperature offers a unique approach to investigate the evolution of pairing symmetry if both - and -wave pairing instabilities are relevant. Here, we employ in-plane strain to tune the of , in which both nematicity and superconductivity undergo significant changes with doping. While is usually suppressed quadratically with in optimally doped in dominated by changes its sign from < 0 in FeSe to > 0 in (), indicating an evolution of the pairing symmetry from an state toward an wave state. These findings highlight the as a powerful probe for elucidating the superconducting pairing symmetry in the nematic regime of FeSCs and provide unique insights into the evolution of pairing symmetry in FeSCs.