Interplay between magnetism and superconductivity and appearance of a second superconducting transition in alpha-FeSe at high pressure

TL;DR

This study explores how high pressure influences magnetism and superconductivity in alpha-FeSe, revealing a second superconducting transition and the coexistence of magnetic order and multiple superconducting phases.

Contribution

It reports the discovery of a second superconducting phase in alpha-FeSe at high pressure and analyzes its coexistence with magnetic order, expanding understanding of pressure-induced phenomena in iron-based superconductors.

Findings

Tc increases linearly with pressure at 3.5 K/GPa

A second superconducting transition appears above 3 GPa

Superconducting transition broadens significantly at high pressure

Abstract

We synthesized tetragonal alpha-FeSe by melting a powder mixture of iron and selenium at high pressure. Subsequent annealing at normal pressure results in removing traces of hexagonal beta- FeSe, formation of a rather sharp transition to superconducting state at Tc ~ 7 K, and the appearance of a magnetic transition near Tm = 120 K. Resistivity and ac-susceptibility were measured on the annealed sample at hydrostatic pressure up to 4.5 GPa. A magnetic transition visible in ac-susceptibility shifts down under pressure and the resistive anomaly typical for a spin density wave (SDW) antiferromagnetic transition develops near the susceptibility anomaly. Tc determined by the appearance of a diamagnetic response in susceptibility, increases linearly under pressure at a rate dTc/dP = 3.5 K/GPa. Below 1.5 GPa, the resistive superconducting transition is sharp; the width of transition does not change with pressure; and, Tc determined by a peak in drho/dT increases at a rate ~ 3.5 K/GPa. At higher pressure, a giant broadening of the resistive transition develops. This effect cannot be explained by possible pressure gradients in the sample and is inherent to alpha-FeSe. The dependences drho(T)/dT show a signature for a second peak above 3 GPa which is indicative of the appearance of another superconducting state in alpha-FeSe at high pressure. We argue that this second superconducting phase coexists with SDW antiferromagnetism in a partial volume fraction and originates from pairing of charge carriers from other sheets of the Fermi surface.