Local destruction of superconductivity by non-magnetic impurities in mesoscopic iron-based superconductors

Jun Li (), Min Ji, Tobias Schwarz, Xiaoxing Ke, Gustaaf Van Tendeloo, Jie Yuan, Paulo J. Pereira, Ya Huang, Gufei Zhang, Hai-Luke Feng, Ya-Hua Yuan, Takeshi Hatano, Reinhold Kleiner, Dieter Koelle, Liviu F. Chibotaru, Kazunari Yamaura, Hua-Bing Wang (), Pei-Heng Wu, Eiji Takayama-Muromachi, Johan Vanacken and Victor V. Moshchalkov ()
Additional contact information
Jun Li: INPAC—Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Min Ji: Research Institute of Superconductor Electronics, Nanjing University
Tobias Schwarz: Physikalisches Institut-Experimentalphysik II and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA+, Universität Tübingen
Xiaoxing Ke: Electron Microscopy for Materials Research (EMAT), University of Antwerp
Gustaaf Van Tendeloo: Electron Microscopy for Materials Research (EMAT), University of Antwerp
Jie Yuan: National Institute for Materials Science
Paulo J. Pereira: Division of Quantum and Physical Chemistry and INPAC-Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Ya Huang: Research Institute of Superconductor Electronics, Nanjing University
Gufei Zhang: INPAC—Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Hai-Luke Feng: National Institute for Materials Science
Ya-Hua Yuan: National Institute for Materials Science
Takeshi Hatano: National Institute for Materials Science
Reinhold Kleiner: Physikalisches Institut-Experimentalphysik II and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA+, Universität Tübingen
Dieter Koelle: Physikalisches Institut-Experimentalphysik II and Center for Collective Quantum Phenomena in LISA+, Universität Tübingen
Liviu F. Chibotaru: Division of Quantum and Physical Chemistry and INPAC-Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Kazunari Yamaura: National Institute for Materials Science
Hua-Bing Wang: Research Institute of Superconductor Electronics, Nanjing University
Pei-Heng Wu: Research Institute of Superconductor Electronics, Nanjing University
Eiji Takayama-Muromachi: Graduate School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University
Johan Vanacken: INPAC—Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry
Victor V. Moshchalkov: INPAC—Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract The determination of the pairing symmetry is one of the most crucial issues for the iron-based superconductors, for which various scenarios are discussed controversially. Non-magnetic impurity substitution is one of the most promising approaches to address the issue, because the pair-breaking mechanism from the non-magnetic impurities should be different for various models. Previous substitution experiments demonstrated that the non-magnetic zinc can suppress the superconductivity of various iron-based superconductors. Here we demonstrate the local destruction of superconductivity by non-magnetic zinc impurities in Ba0.5K0.5Fe2As2 by exploring phase-slip phenomena in a mesoscopic structure with 119 × 102 nm2 cross-section. The impurities suppress superconductivity in a three-dimensional ‘Swiss cheese’-like pattern with in-plane and out-of-plane characteristic lengths slightly below ∼1.34 nm. This causes the superconducting order parameter to vary along abundant narrow channels with effective cross-section of a few square nanometres. The local destruction of superconductivity can be related to Cooper pair breaking by non-magnetic impurities.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8614

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