Unconventional Charge Density Wave Order in the Pnictide Superconductor Ba(Ni1-xCox)(2)As-2

Ba(Ni1−xCox)2As2 is a structural homologue of the pnictide high temperature superconductor, Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2, in which the Fe atoms are replaced by Ni. Superconductivity is highly suppressed in this system, reaching a maximum Tc=2.3 K, compared to 24 K in its iron-based cousin, and the origin of this Tc suppression is not known. Using x-ray scattering, we show that Ba(Ni1−xCox)2As2 exhibits a unidirectional charge density wave (CDW) at its triclinic phase transition. The CDW is incommensurate, exhibits a sizable lattice distortion, and is accompanied by the appearance of α Fermi surface pockets in photoemission [B. Zhou et al., Phys. Rev. B 83, 035110 (2011)], suggesting it forms by an unconventional mechanism. Co doping suppresses the CDW, paralleling the behavior of antiferromagnetism in iron-based superconductors. Our study demonstrates that pnictide superconductors can exhibit competing CDW order, which may be the origin of Tc suppression in this system