On the structure of the superconducting order parameter in high-temperature Fe-based superconductors

We discuss the synthesis, characterization, and comprehensive study of Ba-122 single crystals with various substitutions and various superconducting transition temperatures. We use five complementary techniques to obtain a self-consistent set of data on the superconducting properties of Ba-122. A major conclusion of our work is the coexistence of two superconducting condensates differing in the electron–boson coupling strength. The two gaps that develop in distinct Fermi surface sheets are nodeless in the $k_xk_y$ plane and exhibit s-wave symmetry; the two-band model suffices for the description of the main parameters of the superconducting state. A moderate interband coupling and a considerable Coulomb repulsion in the description of the two-gap superconducting state of barium pnictides favor the ${\rm s}^{++}$ model.