Orbital character variation of the Fermi surface and doping dependent changes of the dimensionality in BaFe2−xCoxAs2 from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

From a combination of high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and density functional calculations, we show that BaFe2As2 possesses essentially two-dimensional electronic states, with a strong change of orbital character of two of the Gamma-centered Fermi surfaces as a function of kz. Upon Co doping, the electronic states in the vicinity of the Fermi level take on increasingly three-dimensional character. Both the orbital variation with kz and the more three-dimensional nature of the doped compounds have important consequences for the nesting conditions and thus possibly also for the appearance of antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases.

Extrapolation of nuclear properties to the region near Z = 184