Influence of microstructure on superconductivity in KxFe2−ySe2 and evidence for a new parent phase K2Fe7Se8

Xiaxin Ding, Delong Fang, Zhenyu Wang, Huan Yang, Jianzhong Liu, Qiang Deng, Guobin Ma, Chong Meng, Yuhui Hu and Hai-Hu Wen ()
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Xiaxin Ding: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Delong Fang: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Zhenyu Wang: National Laboratory for Superconductivity, Institute of Physics and National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Huan Yang: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Jianzhong Liu: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Qiang Deng: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Guobin Ma: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Chong Meng: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Yuhui Hu: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University
Hai-Hu Wen: National Center of Microstructures and Quantum Manipulation, Nanjing University

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The search for new superconducting materials has been spurred on by the discovery of iron-based superconductors whose structure and composition is qualitatively different from the cuprates. The study of one such material, KxFe2−ySe2 with a critical temperature of 32 K, is made more difficult by the fact that it separates into two phases—a dominant antiferromagnetic insulating phase K2Fe4Se5, and a minority superconducting phase whose precise structure is as yet unclear. Here we perform electrical and magnetization measurements, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning tunnelling microscopy on KxFe2−ySe2 crystals prepared under different quenching processes to better understand the relationship between its microstructure and its superconducting phase. We identify a three-dimensional network of superconducting filaments within this material and present evidence to suggest that the superconducting phase consists of a single Fe vacancy for every eight Fe-sites arranged in a √8 x √10 parallelogram structure.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2913

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