Doping dependent evolution of magnetism and superconductivity in Eu(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 (x = 0-1) and temperature dependence of the lower critical field H(c1)

We have synthesized polycrystalline samples of Eu(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 (x = 0-1) and carried out systematic characterization using x-ray diffraction, ac and dc magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity measurements. A clear signature of the coexistence of a superconducting transition (T(c) = 5.5 K) with spin density wave (SDW) ordering is observed in our underdoped sample with x = 0.15. The SDW transition disappears completely for the x = 0.3 sample and superconductivity arises below 20 K. The superconducting transition temperature Tc increases with increase in the K content and a maximum Tc = 33 K is reached for x = 0.5, beyond which it decreases again. The doping dependent Tx phase diagram is extracted from the magnetic and electrical transport data. It is found that magnetic ordering of Eu moments coexists with the superconductivity up to x = 0.6. The isothermal magnetization data taken at 2 K for the doped samples suggest the 2+ valence state of the Eu ions. We also present the temperature dependence of the lower critical field H(c1) of the superconducting polycrystalline samples. The values of H(c1)(0) obtained for x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 after taking the demagnetization factor into account are 202, 330, and 212 Oe, respectively. The London penetration depth λ(T) calculated from the lower critical field does not show exponential dependence at low temperature, as would be expected for a fully gapped clean s-wave superconductor. In contrast, it shows a T2 power law feature up to T = 0.3Tc, as observed in Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 and BaFe(2-x)Co(x)As2.     

First Principles Study on FeAs Single Layers

在广义梯度近似(GGA)和GGA+U的框架下,用第一性原理方法研究了用FeAs单层的简单模型来研究LaFeAsO和BaFe2As2的合理性. 对未掺杂的FeAs单层,优化的几何结构及其对应的电子结构与本体的性质差异较大,并且在单层中没有发现体相中的共线反铁磁基态. 另外,在单层中,As与Fe层之间在z方向的间距随电子和空穴掺杂浓度的变化也与实验结果不符,这些结果表明,在LaFeAsO和BaFe2As2中,FeAs层与其他层之间的相互作用是不可忽略的,用简单的FeAs单层来处理Fe基超导体需要考虑更多的修正     

Potassium doping effect on the lattice softening and electronic structure of Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) superconducting samples (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. In this contribution the doping effect of potassium on the lattice dynamics in this newly discovered Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) superconductor has been investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy. The analysis shows that with potassium doping an increased disorder in the iron layers is mainly related to the softening of the Fe-Fe bond. Information about the electronic structure of these materials has also been obtained by looking at the X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra that point out the presence of holes in the Fe-3d/As-4p hybridized orbital of the BaFe(2)As(2)-based system.     

Phonon density of states of LaFeAsO(1-x)Fx

We have studied the phonon density of states (PDOS) in LaFeAsO(1-x)Fx with inelastic neutron scattering methods. The PDOS of the parent compound (x=0) is very similar to the PDOS of samples optimally doped with fluorine to achieve the maximum Tc (x approximately 0.1). Good agreement is found between the experimental PDOS and first-principles calculations with the exception of a small difference in Fe mode frequencies. The PDOS reported here is not consistent with conventional electron-phonon mediated superconductivity.     

The superconducting transition temperatures of Fe(1+x)Se(1-y), Fe(1+x)Se(1-y)Te(y) and (K/Rb/Cs)(z)Fe(2-x)Se2

In a recent contribution to this journal, it was shown that the transition temperatures of optimal high-T(C) compounds obey the algebraic relation T(C0) = k(-1)(B)/?ζ, where ? is related to the mean spacing between interacting charges in the layers, ζ is the distance between interacting electronic layers, β is a universal constant and k(B) is Boltzmann's constant. The equation was derived assuming pairing based on interlayer Coulomb interactions between physically separated charges. This theory was initially validated for 31 compounds from five different high-T(C) families (within an accuracy of ±1.37 K). Herein we report the addition of Fe(1+x)Se(1-y) and Fe(1+x)Se(1-y)Te(y) (both optimized under pressure) and A(z)Fe(2-x)Se(2) (for A = K, Rb or Cs) to the growing list of Coulomb-mediated superconducting compounds in which T(C0) is determined by the above equation. Doping in these materials is accomplished through the introduction of excess Fe and/or Se deficiency, or a combination of alkali metal and Fe vacancies. Consequently, a very small number of vacancies or interstitials can induce a superconducting state with a substantial transition temperature. The confirmation of the above equation for these Se-based Fe chalcogenides increases to six the number of superconducting families for which the transition temperature can be accurately predicted.     

Effects of chemical pressure on diluted magneticsemiconductor(Ba,K)(Zn,Mn)_2As_2

Chemical pressure induced by iso-valent doping has been widely employed to tune physical properties of materials. In this work, we report effects of chemical pressure by substitution of Sb or P into As on a recently discovered diluted magnetic semiconductor(Ba,K)(Zn,Mn)_2 As_2, which has the record of reliable Curie temperature of 230 K due to independent charge and spin doping. Sb and P are substituted into As-site to produce negative and positive chemical pressures, respectively.X-ray diffraction results demonstrate the successful chemical solution of dopants. Magnetic properties of both K-underdoped and K-optimal-doped samples are effectively tuned by Sb-and P-doping. The Hall effect measurements do not show decrease in carrier concentrations upon Sb-and P-doping. Impressively, magnetoresistance is significantly improved from7% to 27% by only 10% P-doping, successfully extending potential application of(Ba,K)(Zn,Mn)_2 As_2.     

Exotic d-wave superconducting state of strongly hole-doped K(x)Ba(1-x)Fe2As2

We investigate the superconducting phase in the K(x)Ba(1-x)Fe2As2 122 compounds from moderate to strong hole-doping regimes. Using the functional renormalization group, we show that, while the system develops a nodeless anisotropic s(±) order parameter in the moderately doped regime, gapping out the electron pockets at strong hole doping drives the system into a nodal (cos k(x) + cos k(y))(cos k(x) - cos k(y)) d-wave superconducting state. This is in accordance with recent experimental evidence from measurements on KFe2As2 which observe a nodal order parameter in the extreme doping regime. The magnetic instability is strongly suppressed.     

Magnetism and superconductivity in Eu(Fe_(1-x)Ni_x)As_2(x= 0,0.04)

We report Eu-local-spin magnetism and Ni-doping-induced superconductivity(SC)in a 112-type ferroarsenide system Eu(Fe_(1-x)Ni_x)As_2.The non-doped EuFeAs_2exhibits two primary magnetic transitions at ~100 and ~40 K,probably associated with a spin-density-wave(SDW)transition and an antiferromagnetic ordering in the Fe and Eu sublattices,respectively.Two additional successive transitions possibly related to Eu-spin modulations appear at 15.5 and 6.5 K.For the Ni-doped sample with x=0.04,the SDW transition disappears,and SC emerges at T_c=17.5 K.The Eu-spin ordering remains at around 40 K,followed by the possible reentrant magnetic modulations with enhanced spin canting.Consequently,SC coexists with a weak spontaneous magnetization below 6.2 K in Eu(Fe_(0.96)Ni_(0.04))As_2,which provides a complementary playground for the study of the interplay between SC and magnetism.     

Interplay between Fe 3d and Ce 4f magnetism and Kondo interaction in CeFeAs(1-x)P(x)O probed by 75As and 31P NMR

A detailed (31)P (I = 1/2) and (75)As (I = 3/2) NMR study on polycrystalline CeFeAs(1-x)P(x)O alloys is presented. The magnetism of CeFeAsO changes drastically upon P substitution on the As site. CeFePO is a heavy fermion system without long-range order whereas CeFeAsO exhibits an Fe 3d SDW type of ordering accompanied by a structural transition from tetragonal (TT) to orthorhombic (OT) structure. Furthermore, Ce 4f(1) orders antiferromagnetically (AFM) at low temperature. At the critical concentration where the Fe magnetism is diminished the Ce-Ce interaction changes to a ferromagnetic (FM) type of ordering. Three representative samples of the CeFeAs(1-x)P(x)O (x = 0.05, 0.3 and 0.9) series are systematically investigated. (1) For the x = 0.05 alloy a drastic change of the linewidth at 130 K indicates the AFM-SDW type of ordering of Fe and the structural change from the TT to the OT phase. The linewidth roughly measures the internal field in the ordered state and the transition is most likely first order. The small and nearly constant shift from (31)P and (75)As NMR suggests the presence of competing hyperfine interactions between the nuclear spins and the 4f and 3d ions of Ce and Fe. (2) For the x = 0.3 alloy, the evolution of the Fe-SDW type of order takes place at around 70 K corroborating the results of bulk measurement and μSR. Here we found evidence for phase separation of paramagnetic and magnetic SDW phases. (3) In contrast to the heavy fermion CeFePO for the x = 0.9 alloy a phase transition is found at 2 K. The field-dependent NMR shift gives evidence of FM ordering. Above the ordering the spin-lattice relaxation rate (31)(1/T(1)) shows unconventional, non-Korringa-like behaviour which indicates a complex interplay of Kondo and FM fluctuations.     

双掺杂铁基1111型超导体Nd1-xBaxFeAsO1-2xF2x的磁传输性能研究

采用两步固相反应法,在母相FeAs=1111结构的NdFeAsO中掺入BaF2,实现电子与空穴的双掺杂．该体系超导转变温度（Tc）在33-50K范围,取决于名义BaF2掺杂量x．在实验范围内,掺杂量越大,转变温度越高,当x=0．2时,Tc达到50K．磁电阻测量表明：高掺杂量样品（例如x=0．2）具有较高的上临界场（Hc...     

Superconductivity at 38 K in the iron arsenide (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2

The ternary iron arsenide BaFe2As2 becomes superconducting by hole doping, which was achieved by partial substitution of the barium site with potassium. We have discovered bulk superconductivity at T{c}=38 K in (Ba1-xKx)Fe2As2 with x approximately 0.4. The parent compound BaFe2As2 crystallizes in the tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure, which consists of (FeAs);{delta-} iron arsenide layers separated by Ba2+ ions. BaFe2As2 is a poor metal and exhibits a spin density wave anomaly at 140 K. By substituting Ba2+ for K+ ions we have introduced holes in the (FeAs);{-} layers, which suppress the anomaly and induce superconductivity. The T{c} of 38 K in (Ba0.6K0.4)Fe2As2 is the highest in hole doped iron arsenide superconductors so far. Therefore, we were able to expand this class of superconductors by oxygen-free compounds with the ThCr2Si2-type structure.     

Review of nuclear magnetic resonance studies on iron-based superconductors

The newly discovered iron-based superconductors have triggered renewed enormous research interest in the condensed matter physics community. Nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） is a low-energy local probe for studying strongly correlated electrons, and particularly important for high-Tc superconductors. In this paper, we review NMR studies on the structural transition, antiferromagnetic order, spin fluctuations, and superconducting properties of several iron-based high-Tc superconductors, including LaFeAsOl_xFx, LaFeAsOl_x, BaFe2As2, Bal_xKxFe2As2, Cao.23Nao.67Fe2As2, BaFe2（Asl_xPx）2, Ba（Fel_xRux）2As2, Ba（Fel_xCox）2As2, Lil＋xFeAs, LiFel_xCoxAs, NaFeAs, NaFel_xCoxAs, KyFe2_xSe2, and （T1,Rb）yFe2_xSe2.     

纳米Ce1-x(Fe0.5La0.5)xO2-δ固溶体的水热合成及光谱分析

采用水热方法合成Ce1-x(Fe0.5 La0.5)xO2-δ固溶体.利用X射线衍射技术(X-ray diffraction technique,XRD)表征样品的相结构,并对固溶体的晶胞参数进行拟合,通过紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis diffraction spectrum)及拉曼光谱(Raman spectru...     

Antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations and unconventional nodeless superconductivity in an iron-based new superconductor (Ca4Al2O(6-y))(Fe2As2): 75As nuclear quadrupole resonance study

We report 75As nuclear quadrupole resonance studies on (Ca4Al2O(6-y))(Fe2As2) with T(c) = 27 K. Measurement of nuclear-spin-relaxation rate 1/T1 has revealed a significant development of two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations down to T(c) in association with the smallest As-Fe-As bond angle. Below T(c), the temperature dependence of 1/T1 without any trace of the coherence peak is well accounted for by a nodeless s(±)-wave multiple-gaps model. From the fact that its T(c) is comparable to T(c) = 28 K in the optimally doped LaFeAsO(1-y) in which antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations are not dominant, we remark that antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations are not a unique factor for enhancing T(c) among Fe-based superconductors, but a condition for optimizing superconductivity should be addressed from the lattice structure point of view.     

Model of vortex states in hole-doped iron-pnictide superconductors

Based on a phenomenological model with competing spin-density-wave (SDW) and extended s-wave superconductivity, the vortex states in Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 are investigated by solving Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. Our result for the optimally doped compound without induced SDW is in qualitative agreement with recent scanning tunneling microscopy experiment. We also propose that the main effect of the SDW on the vortex states is to reduce the intensity of the in-gap peak in the local density of states and transfer the spectral weight to form additional peaks outside the gap.     

Scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy study of the misfit layer compounds (LaS)1.14(NbS2)n (n=1, 2) and [(Pb,Sb)S)]1.14NbS2

The misfit layer compounds (LaS)_1.14(NbS₂)_n (n=1, 2) and [(Pb,Sb)S]_1.14NbS₂ were examined by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In these compounds the NaCl-type double MS (M=La, Pb, Sb) layers (Q layers) alternate with the NbS₂ layers (H layers) made up of NbS₆ trigonal prisms. It was possible to record AFM and STM images for only the H layers for (LaS)_1.14(NbS₂)_n, but for both the H- and Q-layers for [(Pb,Sb)S]_1.14NbS₂. Partial and total electron density plots of the H and Q layers were calculated to interpret the observed STM and AFM images. The bright spots in the STM and AFM images of the H layer correspond to S atoms, and those of the Q layer to Pb and Sb atoms. The STM images for the Q layers of [(Pb,Sb)S]_1.14NbS₂ suggest that a short-range ordering of the Pb and Sb atoms occurs in the (Pb,Sb)S sheets of the Q layer.     

Absence of large nanoscale electronic inhomogeneities in the Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 pnictide

⁷⁵As NMR and susceptiblity were measured in a Ba(Fe_1-xCo_x)₂As₂ single crystal for x = 6% for various field H values and orientations. The sharpness of the superconducting and magnetic transitions demonstrates a homogeneity of the Co doping x better than ±0.25%. On the nanometer scale, the paramagnetic part of the NMR spectra is found very anisotropic and very narrow for H∥ab which allows to rule out the interpretation of reference [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 78, 013711 (2009); Phys. Rev. B 79, R 140506 (2009)] in terms of strong Co induced electronic inhomogeneities. We propose that a distribution of hyperfine couplings and chemical shifts due to the Co effect on its nearest As explains the observed linewidths and relaxations. All these measurements show that Co substitution induces a very homogeneous electronic doping in BaFe₂As₂, from nano to micrometer lengthscales, on the contrary to the K doping.     

Growth of Fe-doped ZnO nanorods using aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition via in situ doping

In situ Fe doping of ZnO nanorods (NRs) was performed using aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AA-CVD) technique. As the aerosol generator is located outside the reactor, AA-CVD provides the flexibility to control doping parameters, such as doping timing, doping duration and a wider choice of dopant precursors. The Fe dopant aerosol was flowed into the reactor during the growth of ZnO NRs to achieve in situ doping. The X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the Fe dopants were introduced into the ZnO lattice and present mainly in the form of Fe²⁺. This result is supported by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis as the doublet separation is 13.6 eV, although there is a shift of Fe_1/2 and Fe_3/2 peaks to a lower binding energy levels. A strong green emission of PL of Fe-doped ZnO NRs shows that the NRs have poor crystal quality attributed to the Fe-induced defects (recombination centres). The poor photocatalytic performance in degrading Rhodamine B solution of Fe-doped ZnO NRs further proves that the Fe-induced defects were recombination centres rather than traps. Lastly, the growth mechanism of in situ Fe doping of ZnO NRs was discussed.     

Iron-induced magnetic,transport and magnetoresistance behavior in Nd<Subscript>0.67</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.33</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> epitaxial films

The effects of Fe doping on Mn site in the colossal magnetoresistive film, Nd_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ have been studied by preparing the series Nd_0.67Sr_0.33Mn_1-xFe_xO₃ (x=0,0.05 and 0.1). Upon doping, no structural changes have been found. However, the Curie temperature, the associated metal-to-insulator transition temperature and the magnetization decrease drastically with Fe doping. The resistivity in the paramagnetic regime for all the samples follows Emin–Holsteins theory of small polaron. The polaron activation energy, W_p and resistivity coefficient, A increase with Fe doping. This effect may be ascribed to the fact that upon Fe doping, the long-range ferromagnetic order is destroyed and, therefore, W_p is enhanced in the system. As compared to the La-based system, Fe doping has a stronger tendency to destabilize the long-range ferromagnetic order in the Nd-based system. Large MR (as high as 90%) observed in the epitaxial NSMFO film may be attributed to the good lattice-matching between the grown film and substrate. PACS 75.47.Gk; 75.47.Lx; 75.70.-i     

Multiple release layer study of the intrinsic lateral etch rate of the epitaxial lift-off process

The lateral etch rate of AlGaAs in HF in the Epitaxial Lift-Off (ELO) process consists of two parts, an intrinsic and a radius-induced part. The intrinsic part is studied with a new approach in which multiple release layers are introduced in one sample. By letting an essential ELO process parameter vary over the different release layers, this parameter is examined, using only samples from one wafer. In this study, the influence of thickness, aluminium fraction, and doping concentration of the release layer on the lateral etch rate is investigated. For release layers with thicknesses below 10 nm, a positive correlation between thickness and intrinsic etch rate is found. Thicker release layers do not result in higher etch rates. Increasing aluminium fractions in the Al_xGa_1-xAs release layers result in higher etch rates. For aluminium fractions between 0.3 and 1, this effect covers almost six orders of magnitude. From the width of the V-shaped etch slits in samples that have been etched for 12 hours or more, the selectivity, i.e., the ratio of the etch rate of Al_xGa_1-xAs to GaAs, is determined. Selectivities between 4.3 and 8.6×10⁵ are found for x=0.3 and x=1, respectively. A variation in silicon doping is found to have no effect on the lateral etch rate, while increased zinc doping raises the etch rate significantly. PACS 81.05.Ea; 68.37.Hk; 81.15.Gh