Superconductivity in SmFe1-xMxAsO (M = Co, Rh, Ir)

TL;DR

This study investigates how doping SmFeAsO with 3d, 4d, and 5d transition metals (Co, Rh, Ir) affects its structure and induces superconductivity up to 10 K, revealing insights into iron-based superconductor physics.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of superconductivity induced by different transition metal dopants in SmFeAsO, highlighting the effects of electronic structure differences.

Findings

Superconductivity up to 10 K observed in doped samples.

Doping suppresses antiferromagnetic SDW order.

Structural integrity maintained across doping levels.

Abstract

In this paper we report the comparative study of superconductivity by 3d (Co), 4d (Rh), 5d (Ir) element doping in SmFeAsO. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the material has formed the ZrCuSiAs-type structure with a space group P4/nmm. It is found that the antiferromagnetic spin-density-wave (SDW) order in the parent compounds is rapidly suppressed by Co, Rh, and Ir doping, and superconductivity emerges. Both electrical resistance and magnetization measurements show superconductivity up to around 10 K in SmFe1-xMxAsO (M = Co, Rh, Ir). Co, Rh and Ir locate in the same column in the periodic table of elements but have different electronic band structure, so comparative study would add more ingredients to the underlying physics of the iron-based superconductors.