Superconductivity in Yttrium Iron Oxyarsenide System

TL;DR

This study reports the synthesis of yttrium-doped iron oxypnictides, demonstrating that extended heat treatment and fluoride doping induce superconductivity around 10 K, with observable diamagnetic and resistive transitions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to produce superconducting yttrium iron oxyarsenide by prolonged heat treatment and fluoride doping, expanding the family of iron-based superconductors.

Findings

Superconductivity appears after 72 hours of heat treatment.

Superconducting transition temperature is around 10 K.

Both diamagnetic and resistive signatures confirm superconductivity.

Abstract

Iron-based oxypnictides substituted with yttrium have been prepared via a conventional solid state reaction. The product after first 50 hours of reaction showed diamagnetic-like transition at around 10 K but was not superconducting, while additional 72 hours of high temperature heat treatment was required to yield superconducting sample which was doped with fluoride. Temperature dependence of the susceptibility shows both screening and Meissner effect at around 10 K, while resistance as a function of temperature displayed a drop at around the same temperature.