Single crystal of superconducting SmFeAsO1-xFy grown at high pressure

TL;DR

This study reports the successful growth of high-pressure single crystals of superconducting SmFeAsO1-xFy, revealing their structural, magnetic, and thermal properties, with transition temperatures up to 53 K and high critical current densities.

Contribution

It introduces a high-pressure cubic anvil method for growing sizable SmFeAsO1-xFy single crystals and characterizes their superconducting and thermal properties.

Findings

Superconducting transition temperature up to 53 K

Full diamagnetic response observed in crystals

High critical current density in magnetic fields

Abstract

Single crystals of SmFeAsO1-xFy of a size up to 120 micrometers have been grown from NaCl/KCl flux at a pressure of 30 kbar and temperature of 1350-1450 C using the cubic anvil high-pressure technique. The superconducting transition temperature of the obtained single crystals varies between 45 and 53 K.Obtained crystals are characterized by a full diamagnetic response in low magnetic fields and by a high critical current density in high magnetic fields. Structural refinement has been performed on single crystal. Differential thermal analysis investigations at 1 bar Ar pressure show decomposition of SmFeAsO1-xFy at 1302 C.