Interplay Of Paramagnetism And Topology In The Fe-Chalcogenide High-T-C Superconductors

The high-T-c superconductor, FeTe0.55Se0.(45), has recently been shown to support a surface state with topological character. Here we use low-energy laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with variable light polarization, including both linear and circular polarizations, to reexamine the same material and the related FeTe0.7Se0.3, with a larger Te concentration. In both cases, we observe the presence of a surface state displaying linear dispersion in a cone-like configuration. The use of circular polarization confirms the presence of a helical spin structure. These experimental studies are compared with theoretical studies that account for the local magnetic effects related to the paramagnetism observed in this system in the normal state. In contrast to previous studies, we find that including the magnetic contributions is necessary to bring the chemical potential of the calculated electronic band structure naturally into alignment with the experimental observations.