Disorder-promoted C₄-symmetric magnetic order in iron-based superconductors

In most iron-based superconductors, the transition to the magnetically ordered state is closely linked to a lowering of structural symmetry from tetragonal ($C_{4}$) to orthorhombic ($C_{2}$). However, recently, a regime of $C_{4}$-symmetric magnetic order has been reported in certain hole-doped iron-based superconductors. This novel magnetic ground state can be understood as a double-$\mathbf{Q}$ spin density wave characterized by two order parameters $\mathbf{M}_{1}$ and $\mathbf{M}_{2}$ related to each of the two $\mathbf{Q}$ vectors. Depending on the relative orientations of the order parameters, either a noncollinear spin-vortex crystal or a nonuniform charge-spin density wave could form. Experimentally, M\"ossbauer spectroscopy, neutron scattering, and muon spin rotation established the latter as the magnetic configuration of some of these optimally hole-doped iron-based superconductors. Theoretically, low-energy itinerant models do support a transition from single-$\mathbf{Q}$ to double-$\mathbf{Q}$ magnetic order, but with nearly-degenerate spin-vortex crystal and charge-spin density wave states. In fact, extensions of these low-energy models including additional electronic interactions tip the balance in favor of the spin-vortex crystal, in apparent contradiction with the recent experimental findings. In this paper, we revisit the phase diagram of magnetic ground states of low-energy multi-band models in the presence of weak disorder. We show that impurity scattering not only promotes the transition from $C_{2}$ to $C_{4}$-magnetic order, but it also favors the charge-spin density wave over the spin-vortex crystal phase. Additionally, in the single-$\mathbf{Q}$ phase, our analysis of the nematic coupling constant in the presence of disorder supports the experimental finding that the splitting between the structural and stripe-magnetic transition is enhanced by disorder.