Go for a spin

News & Views article on electron nematicity in iron-based superconductors invited on Nature Physics. This article is associated to the new study by Lu and colleagues that provides a direct measurement of the spin excitations in the nematic phase of the iron-based superconductor FeSe. Using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, they were able to perform a complete temperature-dependent analysis and explore the high-energy range of the magnetic excitation spectrum. This new experiment provides new elements to build a coherent theoretical frame of nematicity in iron-based superconductors. We have increasing evideMy News & Views article on electron nematicity in iron-based superconductors has just been published with SpringerNature in Nature Physics. This article is associated to the new study by Lu and colleagues that provides a direct measurement of the spin excitations in the nematic phase of the iron-based superconductor FeSe. Using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, they were able to perform a complete temperature-dependent analysis and explore the high-energy range of the magnetic excitation spectrum. This new experiment new elements to build a coherent theoretical frame of nematicity in iron-based superconductors. We have increasing evidences that nematicity is driven by the spins, however electronic correlations seems to play a non negligible role in the nematic state realization.nces that nematicity is driven by the spins, however electronic correlations seems to play a non negligible role in the nematic state realization.