Interface-induced superconductivity at ∼25 K at ambient pressure in undoped CaFe2As2 single crystals.

Superconductivity has been reversibly induced/suppressed in undoped CaFe2As2 (Ca122) single crystals through proper thermal treatments, with Tc at ∼25 K at ambient pressure and up to 30 K at 1.7 GPa. We found that Ca122 can be stabilized in two distinct tetragonal (T) phases at room temperature and ambient pressure: PI with a nonmagnetic collapsed tetragonal (cT) phase at low temperature and PII with an antiferromagnetic orthorhombic (O) phase at low temperature, depending on the low-temperature annealing condition. Neither phase at ambient pressure is superconducting down to 2 K. However, systematic annealing for different time periods at 350 °C on the as-synthesized crystals, which were obtained by quenching the crystal ingot from 850 °C, reveals the emergence of superconductivity over a narrow time window. Whereas the onset Tc is insensitive to the anneal time, the superconductive volume fraction evolves with the time in a dome-shaped fashion. Detailed X-ray diffraction profile analyses further reveal mesoscopically stacked layers of the PI and the PII phases. The deduced interface density correlates well with the superconducting volume measured. The transport anomalies of the T-cT transition, which is sensitive to lattice strain, and the T-O transition, which is associated with the spin-density-wave (SDW) transition, are gradually suppressed over the superconductive region, presumably due to the interface interactions between the nonmagnetic metallic cT phase and the antiferromagnetic O phase. The results provide the most direct evidence to date for interface-enhanced superconductivity in undoped Ca122, consistent with the recent theoretical prediction.

Synthesis, structure, and superconductivity in the new-structure-type compound: SrPt6P2.

A metal-rich ternary phosphide, SrPt(6)P(2), with a unique structure type was synthesized at high temperatures. Its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction [cubic space group Pa3̅; Z = 4; a = 8.474(2) Å, and V = 608.51(2) Å(3)]. The structure features a unique three-dimensional anionic (Pt(6)P(2))(2-) network of vertex-shared Pt(6)P trigonal prisms. The Sr atoms occupy a 12-coordinate (Pt) cage site and form a cubic close-packed (face-centered-cubic) arrangement, and the P atoms formally occupy tetrahedral interstices. The metallic compound becomes superconducting at 0.6 K, as evidenced by magnetic and resistivity measurements.

Unusual superconducting state at 49 K in electron-doped CaFe2As2 at ambient pressure.

We report the detection of unusual superconductivity up to 49 K in single crystalline CaFe(2)As(2) via electron-doping by partial replacement of Ca by rare-earth. The superconducting transition observed suggests the possible existence of two phases: one starting at 49 K, which has a low critical field < 4 Oe, and the other at 21 K, with a much higher critical field > 5 T. Our observations are in strong contrast to previous reports of doping or pressurizing layered compounds AeFe(2)As(2) (or Ae122), where Ae = Ca, Sr, or Ba. In Ae122, hole-doping has been previously observed to generate superconductivity with a transition temperature (T(c)) only up to 38 K and pressurization has been reported to produce superconductivity with a T(c) up to 30 K. The unusual 49 K phase detected will be discussed.

Superconducting Fe-based compounds (A1-xSrx)Fe2As2 with A=K and Cs with transition temperatures up to 37 K.

New high-T{c} Fe-based superconducting compounds, AFe2As2 with A=K, Cs, K/Sr, and Cs/Sr, were synthesized. The T{c} of KFe2As2 and CsFe2As2 is 3.8 and 2.6 K, respectively, which rises with partial substitution of Sr for K and Cs and peaks at 37 K for 50%-60% Sr substitution, and the compounds enter a spin-density-wave state with increasing electron number (Sr content). The compounds represent p-type analogs of the n-doped rare-earth oxypnictide superconductors. Their electronic and structural behavior demonstrate the crucial role of the (Fe2As2) layers in the superconductivity of the Fe-based layered systems, and the special feature of having elemental A layers provides new avenues to superconductivity at higher T{c}.