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Abstract

In this study, we introduce a novel approach aimed at advancing the investigation of local nematicity in BaFe2As2 via dynamically pulsed strain fields. Our research is motivated by the pursuit of a more sensitive alternative to existing static strain methods. Employing nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, we measure the nuclear quadrupolar energy splittings, utilizing them as a sensitive indicator of the electric field gradient (EFG) that couples strongly to the orbital occupations of the 75As p-orbitals. In the new method, we discern an EFG response through changes in the phase acquired by the nuclear magnetization while time-evolving in the strain field, as opposed to a change in resonance frequency under constant strain. The previous technique measured a linear response in the EFG to applied strain and extracted the nematic susceptibility from these slopes as a function of temperature. The susceptibility diverged near the known structural transition and agreed with elastoresistance measurements. Our technique replicates the static results but proves three orders of magnitude more sensitive and hence requires less strain, establishing one of the first methods for probing nematic degrees of freedom within the superconducting regime.

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