Effect of Zn doping on magnetic order and superconductivity in LaFeAsO

TL;DR

This study investigates how Zn doping influences magnetic order and superconductivity in LaFeAsO, revealing suppression of magnetic anomalies and robustness of superconductivity against Zn impurities.

Contribution

It demonstrates that Zn doping suppresses antiferromagnetic order without degrading superconductivity in LaFeAsO-based materials, highlighting the different effects compared to cuprates.

Findings

Zn doping suppresses AFM spin density wave in LaFeAsO

Superconductivity remains unaffected or enhanced by Zn doping in F-doped samples

Zn solubility is limited to less than 0.1, with phase separation at higher levels

Abstract

We report Zn-doping effect in the parent and F-doped LaFeAsO oxy-arsenides. Slight Zn doping in LaFe$_{1-x}$Zn$_{x}$AsO drastically suppresses the resistivity anomaly around 150 K associated with the antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin density wave (SDW) in the parent compound. The measurements of magnetic susceptibility and thermopower confirm further the effect of Zn doping on AFM order. Meanwhile Zn doping does not affect or even enhances the $T_c$ of LaFe$_{1-x}$Zn$_{x}$AsO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$, in contrast to the effect of Zn doping in high-$T_c$ cuprates. We found that the solubility of Zn content ($x$) is limited to less than 0.1 in both systems and further Zn doping (i.e., $x$ $\geq$ 0.1) causes phase separation. Our study clearly indicates that the non-magnetic impurity of Zn$^{2+}$ ions doped in the Fe$_2$As$_2$ layers affects selectively the AFM order, and superconductivity remains robust against the Zn doping in the F-doped superconductors.