Preparation of the oxypnictides and studies on their superconductivity

TL;DR

This study investigates the effects of cobalt doping on LaFeAsO-based superconductors, finding that Tc suppression is minimal and that Cooper pairs are in a singlet state, with detailed measurements supporting these conclusions.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the impact of Co-doping on superconductivity and the pairing symmetry in oxypnictides through comprehensive experimental analysis.

Findings

Co-doping does not significantly suppress Tc.

Cooper pairs are in the singlet state.

No strong correlation between Co content and Tc was observed.

Abstract

LaFe1-yCoyAsO1-xFx (x=0.11) with various y values were prepared and their electrical resistivities, superconducting diamagnetisms and Hall coefficients have been measured. 75As- and 135La-NMR studies have also been carried out In spite of the successful Co-doping, we have not found any meaningful correlation of Tc with y, which indicates that the Tc-suppression by Co-doping is considered not to be so significant as expected for superconductors with nodes. Even for superconductors without nodes, it may not be easy to expect this small effect on Tc, if there are two different (disconnected) Fermi surfaces whose order parameters have opposite signs. The data of the NMR Knight shift indicate that the Cooper pairs are in the singlet state and the spin susceptibility is almost fully suppressed at low temperature.