Electron transport and anisotropy of the upper critical magnetic field in Ba<Subscript>0.68</Subscript>K<Subscript>0.32</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>As<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals

Early work on the iron-arsenide compounds supported the view, that a reduced dimensionality might be a necessary prerequisite for high-T _c superconductivity. Later, however, it was found that the zero-temperature upper critical magnetic field, H _c2(0), for the 122 iron pnictides is in fact rather isotropic. Here, we report measurements of the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, ρ(T), in Ba_0.5K_0.5Fe₂As₂ and Ba_0.68K_0.32Fe₂As₂ single crystals in zero magnetic field and in Ba_0.68K_0.32Fe₂As₂ in static and pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T. We find that the resistivity of both compounds in zero field is well described by an exponential term due to inter-sheet umklapp electron-phonon scattering between light electrons around the M point to heavy hole sheets at the Γ point in reciprocal space. From our data, we construct an H-T phase diagram for the inter-plane (H | c) and in-plane (H | ab) directions for Ba_0.68K_0.32Fe₂As₂. Contrary to published data for 122 underdoped FeAs compounds, we find that H _c2(T) is in fact anisotropic in optimally doped samples down to low temperatures. The anisotropy parameter, γ = H _c2 ^ab /H _c2 ^c , is about 2.2 at T _c . For both field orientations we find a concave curvature of the H _c2 lines with decreasing anisotropy and saturation towards lower temperature. Taking into account Pauli spin paramagnetism, we perfectly can describe H _c2 and its anisotropy.     

Superconductivity of powder-in-tube Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 wires

Nb-sheathed Sr_0.6K_0.4Fe₂As₂ superconducting wires have been fabricated using the powder-in-tube (PIT) method for the first time and the superconducting properties of the wires have been investigated. The transition temperature (T_c) of the Sr_0.6K_0.4Fe₂As₂ wires is confirmed to be as high as 35.3 K. Most importantly, Sr_0.6K_0.4Fe₂As₂ wires exhibit a very weak J_c-field dependence behavior even the temperature is very close to T_c. The upper critical field H_c2(0) value can exceed 140 T, surpassing those of MgB₂ and all the low temperature superconductors. Such high H_c2 and superior J_c-field performance make the 122 phase SrKFeAs wire conductors a powerful competitor potentially useful in very high field applications.     

Hydrostatic pressure study of the structural phase transitions and superconductivity in single crystals of (Ba1−xKx)Fe2As2 (x=0 and 0.45) and CaFe2As2

We studied the effect of hydrostatic pressure (P) on the structural phase transitions and superconductivity in the ternary and pseudo-ternary iron arsenides CaFe₂As₂, BaFe₂As₂, and (Ba_0.55K_0.45)Fe₂As₂, by means of measurements of electrical resistivity (ρ) in the 1.8-300 K temperature (T) range, pressures up to 20 kbar, and magnetic fields up to 9 T. CaFe₂As₂ and BaFe₂As₂ (lightly doped with Sn) display structural phase transitions near 170 and 85 K, respectively, and do not exhibit superconductivity in ambient pressure, while K-doped (Ba_0.55K_0.45)Fe₂As₂ is superconducting for T<30 K. The effect of pressure on BaFe₂As₂ is to shift the onset of the crystallographic transformation down in temperature at the rate of ~−1.04 K/kbar, while shifting the whole ρ(T) curves downward, whereas its effect on superconducting (Ba_0.55K_0.45)Fe₂As₂ is to shift the onset of superconductivity to lower temperatures at the rate of ~−0.21 K/kbar. The effect of pressure on CaFe₂As₂ is first to suppress the crystallographic transformation and induce superconductivity with onset near 12 K very rapidly, i.e., for P<5 kbar. However, higher pressures bring about another phase transformation characterized by reduced-resistivity, and the suppression of superconductivity, confining superconductivity to a narrow pressure dome centered near 5 kbar. Upper critical field (H_c2) data in (Ba_0.55K_0.45)Fe₂As₂ and CaFe₂As₂ are discussed.     

Observation of multiple superconducting gaps in the infrared reflectivity spectra of Ba(Fe<Subscript>0.9</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.1</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>As<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The results of infrared reflectivity measurements for the iron-based high-temperature superconductor Ba(Fe_0.9Co_0.1)₂As₂ are reported. The reflectivity is found to be close to unity at frequencies ω lower than 2Δ/h (2Δ is the superconducting gap and h is Planck’s constant). This is evidence for the s ^+/− or s ^+/+ symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in the studied compound. The infrared reflectivity spectra of Ba(Fe_0.9Co_0.1)₂As₂ manifest opening of several superconducting gaps at temperatures lower than critical T _c .     

Effects of uniaxial pressure and annealing on the resistivity of Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2

Single crystals of underdoped Ba(Fe_1−xCo_x)₂As₂ were detwinned by applying uniaxial pressure. The anisotropic in-plane resistivity was measured using the Montgomery method without releasing pressure. The resistivity along the a-axis shows metallic behavior down to 5 K, while the resistivity along the b-axis shows an insulator-like behavior in some temperature range. Annealing the sample radically reduces the residual resistivity for x=0, and at the same time the anisotropy becomes much smaller at low temperatures.     

Upper critical field <Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>2</Subscript> in anisotropic superconductors with varying charge carrier density: Application of the theory to doped MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A theory describing the magnetic properties of a two-band superconductor with a varying charge carrier density is constructed. The upper critical field H _c2^(ab) parallel to the ab plane and field H _c2^(c) parallel to the c axis are determined in the entire temperature range 0 < T < T _c . A considerable increase in upper critical field H _c2^(ab) as compared to H _c2^(c) because of strong anisotropy of the system is detected. Anisotropy of coefficient γ _H = H _c2^(ab) / H _c2^(c) is obtained as a function of temperature for pure MgB₂ and as a function of the chemical potential in the case when Mg and B atoms are replaced with other chemical elements. A correlation between the variation in the superconducting transition temperature upon an increase in the chemical potential and critical magnetic fields H _c2^(ab) and H _c2^(c) is observed. The effect of doping on magnetic anisotropy is also determined.     

关于MgB2/Al2O3超导薄膜电阻转变和各向异性的研究

利用电子束蒸发方法将MgB₂超导薄膜沉积到Al₂O₃(001)衬底上.采用标准的四引线法研究了磁场平行和垂直超导薄膜ab平面下的电阻转变.一个激活能模型 U(T,H)=U₀(1-T/(T_c+δ))ⁿ(1-H/H 关键词： 2/Al₂O₃')" href="#">MgB₂/Al₂O₃ 超导体 电阻转变 各向异性     

Anomalous upper critical field in ternary iron-silicide superconductor Lu2Fe3Si5

We report the upper critical field H_c2 in a ternary iron-silicide superconductor Lu₂Fe₃Si₅ with T_c  6 K obtained by the resistivity measurements. We find that H_c2 increases linearly with decreasing temperature down to T_c/3, and H_c2(T = 0) exceeds the orbital depairing field described by the Werthamer–Helfand–Hohenberg theory. We also find that the anisotropy of H_c2 is nearly independent of temperature and the angular dependence of H_c2 is well-described by the anisotropic Ginzburg–Landau model. These results strongly indicate the presence of two distinct superconducting gaps in Lu₂Fe₃Si₅ although the behavior is slightly different from that of the typical two-gap superconductor MgB₂.     

Reversible magnetization and irreversibility line of tri-layer superconductor Ba2Ca2Cu3O6(O,F)2 with Tc∼108 K

We report magnetization measurements of grain-aligned Ba₂Ca₂Cu₃O₆(O,F)₂ with T_c?108 K. The interlayer distance of the material is the shortest among known tri-layer superconductors. Unexpectedly, the magnetization data show that the coupling strength between CuO₂ layers is rather weak. A direct reflection of the weak coupling is highly suppressed irreversibility line, i.e. a broad reversible region in H-T plane. The decoupling field obtained from the irreversibility line is less than 0.1 T, which is comparable with that of quasi two-dimensional superconductor Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ. Comparison of data with the Hao-Clem model gives characteristic parameters [ξ_ab(0) and λ_ab(0)] and the critical fields [H_c(0) and H_c2^c(0)]. A large value of penetration depth, λ_ab(0)=240 nm reflects a small carrier concentration in CuO₂ planes, and explains the reason of the weak interlayer coupling.     

Crystal structure and ferromagnetism of (n-C3H7)4N[CoFe(dto)3] (dto=C2O2S2)

Recently, we have discovered a new type of first order phase transition around 120 K for (n-C₃H₇)₄N[Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃] (dto=C₂O₂S₂), where the charge transfer transition between Fe^II and Fe^III occurs reversibly. In order to elucidate the origin of this peculiar first order phase transition. Detailed information about the crystal structure is indispensable. We have synthesized the single crystal of (n-C₃H₇)₄N[Co^IIFe^III(dto)₃] whose crystal structure is isomorphous to that of (n-C₃H₇)₄N[Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃], and determined its detailed crystal structure. Crystal data: space group P6₃, a=b=10.044(2) Å, c=15.960(6) Å, α=β=90°, γ=120°, Z=2 (C₁₈H₂₈NS₆O₆FeCo). In this complex, we found a ferromagnetic transition at T_c=3.5 K. Moreover, on the basis of the crystal data of (n-C₃H₇)₄N[Co^IIFe^III(dto)₃], we determined the crystal structure of (n-C₃H₇)₄N[Fe^IIFe^III(dto)₃] by simulation of powder X-ray diffraction results.     

钴磷族化合物BaT2P2和BaT2As2(T=Co,Rh, Ir) 的电子结构

基于密度泛函理论(DFT)在广义梯度(GGA)下计算了钴磷族化合物BaT₂P₂和BaT₂As₂(T=Co, Rh, Ir)的电子结构.研究发现在BaCo₂P₂和BaCo₂As₂中,由于范霍夫畸点位于费米面附近使得费米能级处的态密度非常高,从而导致由斯通纳机理引起的巡游铁磁不稳定性.在从Co到 关键词： 电子结构 范霍夫畸点 斯通纳不稳定性     

Mechanism responsible for the modification of the band spectrum and superconducting properties in the Tl2Ba2Ca1 ? x Y x Cu2 ? y Co y O z system

The modification of the temperature dependences of the thermopower coefficient for the Tl₂Ba₂Ca_{1 − x} Y _x Cu_{2 − y} Co _y O _z system is investigated as a function of the dopant content. The model of an asymmetric narrow band is shown to be applicable to high-temperature superconductors in the thallium system. The parameters of the band spectrum and charge carrier system for samples of a close-to-optimum composition are determined by analyzing the temperature dependences of the thermopower coefficient within the narrow band model. The character and mechanism of their variation in the course of the transition to an underdoped regime are analyzed together with the dynamics of changes in the superconducting properties. The critical temperature T _c is found to correlate with the effective conduction-band width W _D . It was shown that the dependence T _c (W _D ) for Tl₂Ba₂Ca_{1 − x} Y _x Cu_{2 − y} Co _y O _z has a close-to-universal character, but the suppression of T _c upon the broadening of the band occurs faster than in the case of the yttrium system. Original Russian Text ? O.A. Martynova, V.é. Gasumyants, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 9, pp. 1537–1542.     

Iron isotope effect on Tc in optimally-doped (Ba,K)Fe2As2 (Tc = 38 K) and SmFeAsO1−y (Tc = 54 K) superconductors

We report the iron isotope effect on a transition temperature (T_c) in an optimally-doped (Ba,K)Fe₂As₂ (T_c = 38 K) and SmFeAsO_1−y (T_c = 54 K) superconductors. In order to obtain the reliable isotope shift in T_c, twin samples with different iron isotope mass are synthesized in the same conditions (simultaneously) under high-pressure. We have found that (Ba,K)Fe₂As₂ shows an inverse iron isotope effect α_Fe = −0.18 ± 0.03 while SmFeAsO_1−y shows a small iron isotope effect α_Fe = −0.02 ± 0.01, where the isotope exponent α is defined by T_c ∼ M^−α (M is the isotopic mass). The results show that α_Fe changes in the iron-based superconductors depending on the system. The distinct iron isotope effects imply the exotic coupling mechanism in the iron-based superconductors.     

Non-collinear vortex states in twinned YBa2Cu3O7?δ single crystals

The magnetic moments parallel and perpendicular to thec-axis (measured simultaneously) have been studied as a function of direction of applied magnetic fieldH in twinned and de-twinned YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ single crystals. They show pronounced anomalies when the field direction approaches thec-axis. These allow clear identification of the angle ϕ_L at which vortices are locked into twin planes. Complete shielding of theH _ab field component (transverse Meissner effect) was observed in the locked state. For larger angles, up to ϕ_T, the vortices continue to be non-collinear with the applied field, but their direction deviates from the trapping plane. ϕ_L exhibits a 1/H field-dependence, whereas ϕ_T shows only weak logarithmic variations withH.     

The magnetism for NN AFM ground state in Fe-based superconductor: Sr1−xKxFe2As2

The crystal structure, magnetism properties, and density of states for FeAs layered compound SrFe₂As₂ have been investigated by using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The magnetism under a checkerboard nearest neighbor anti-ferromagnetic (NN AFM) and ferromagnetic (FM) order ground-state have been analyzed with substitution for Sr with K ion in Sr_1−xK_xFe₂As₂. The results indicate that the distortion of FeAs tetrahedrons is sensitive to the electron doping concentration. The system magnetism was suppressed by K doping in NN-AFM ground state instead of FM. The density of states at Fermi level N(E_F) under NN AFM ground state would be regarded as a driving force for the increased T_c of Sr_1−xK_xFe₂As₂ system as observed experimentally. Our calculation reflects that NN AFM type spin fluctuation may still exist in the Sr_1−xK_xFe₂As₂ system and it may be an origin of strong spin fluctuation in this system besides the spin density wave (SDW) states.     

Mechanisms of direct microwave absorption in Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x

Direct microwave absorption was studied as a function of magnetic field up to 8 kG and in a temperature range between 10 K and 150 K in Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7−x. Large microwave absorption was observed below T_c over a wide magnetic field range. The microwave power absorption is approximately described by I=A(T) H+C(T), where A(T) and C(T) are temperature dependent constants. A(T) is proportional to the square root of the microwave power, while C(T) shows a different behaviour. We propose different origins for A(T) and C(T), namely fluxons in grains and weak Josephson links. Moreover, also flux trapping was observed in the superconducting state. Possible mechanisms for the absorption are discussed.     

填充式skutterudite化合物：BayFexCo4-xSb12的多步固相反应合成及结构

以Ba为填充原子,在x=0—3.0,y=0—0.7的组成范围内,用多步固相反应法合成了单相Ba_yFe_xCo_4-xSb₁₂化合物.用Rietveld方法对结构的精确化结果表明：合成的Ba_yFe_xCo_4-xSb₁₂化合物具有填充式skutterudite结构,Ba的热振动参数(B)比Sb,Fe/Co的大,表明在Ba_y关键词： 填充式skutterudite化合物 固相反应     

Effect of refractory metals addition on the structural and magnetic properties of Pr3(Fe, Co, Ti)29 system

Polycrystalline refractory metal-substituted Pr₃(Fe_0.6M_0.1Co_0.3)_27.5Ti_1.5 (M=V, Ti, Zr, Mo, Nb,Cr) and Pr₃(Fe_0.5Co_0.5)_27.5Ti_1.5 have been studied for high-temperature permanent magnetic materials. X-ray diffraction showed the main phase to be the 3:29 phase. We observed the highest reported T_C (Curie temperature) of 640 °C for the 3:29 system in the Pr₃(Fe_0.5Co_0.5)_27.5Ti_1.5. In the refractory metal-substituted systems, the highest T_C of 480 °C was observed for the Nb-substituted alloy. SEM measurements showed that Ti in Pr₃(Fe_0.6Ti_0.1Co_0.3)_27.5Ti_1.5 is deposited near the grain boundary. H_A (anisotropy energy) of V-substituted alloy is as high as 72 kOe, the highest reported in the 3:29 system and is ∼200% higher than 24 kOe observed in Pr₃(Fe_0.7Co_0.3)_27.5Ti_1.5. Cr and Ti substitutions show an increase of 65% (40 kOe) and 45% (35 kOe) in H_A respectively. M_S (saturation magnetization) values were ∼100 emu/g and are lower than that observed in Pr₃(Fe_0.7Co_0.3)_27.5Ti_1.5.     

Intrinsic Josephson junctions in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals

We report on thec-axis superconducting energy gap parameter Δ _c (T) of intrinsic Josephson tunnel junctions inBi ₂ Sr ₂ CaCu ₂ O _8+δ (Bi2212) single crystals. Δ _c (4.2K)≈10−13 meV, which is approximately a factor of two smaller than reported in the majority of tunneling experiments. Δ _c (T) deviates strongly from the BCS temperature dependence. These observations may be explained by a multilayer model of Bi2212 which assumes that theBi−O layers are superconducting due to the proximity effects. The Josephson tunneling then takes place between adjacentBi−O layers while there is a strong proximity coupling betweenBi−O andCu−O layers. The work is supported by Swedish Supercon-ductivity Consortium and NUTEK, and, in part, by Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant #95-02-04307