Superconductivity at 52 K in iron-based F-doped layered quaternary compound Pr[O1-xFx]FeAs

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of superconductivity at 52 K in F-doped Pr[O1-xFx]FeAs, expanding the family of high-temperature iron-based superconductors with a simple layered structure.

Contribution

It presents the first observation of bulk superconductivity at 52 K in Pr[O1-xFx]FeAs, a new high-Tc iron-based superconductor beyond previously known compounds.

Findings

Superconductivity at 52 K in Pr[O1-xFx]FeAs.

Zero-resistivity and Meissner transition confirmed.

Potential new high-Tc system in iron-based superconductors.

Abstract

Since the discovery of copper oxide superconductor in 1986 [1], extensive efforts have been devoted to the search of new high-Tc superconducting materials, especially high-Tc systems other than cuprates. The recently discovered quaternary superconductor La[O1-xFx]FeAs with the superconducting critical transition Tc of 26 K [2], which has a much simple layered structure compared with cuprates, has attracted quick enthusiasm and is going to become a new high-Tc system [3-6]. Here we report the discovery of bulk superconductivity in the praseodymium-arsenide oxides Pr[O1-xFx]FeAs with an onset drop of resistivity as high as 52 K, and the unambiguous zero-resistivity and Meissner transition at low temperature, which will place these quaternary compounds to another high-Tc superconducting system explicitly.