Anisotropic superconducting properties of single-crystalline FeSe0.5Te0.5

TL;DR

This study investigates the anisotropic superconducting properties of FeSe0.5Te0.5 single crystals, revealing two-gap behavior, penetration depth anisotropy, and structural details, contributing to understanding iron-based superconductors.

Contribution

First detailed analysis of anisotropic superconducting gaps and penetration depths in FeSe0.5Te0.5 single crystals using multiple experimental techniques.

Findings

Superconducting transition temperature around 14.6 K.

Two-gap s+s-wave superconducting model fits the data.

Penetration depth anisotropy increases as temperature decreases.

Abstract

Iron-chalcogenide single crystals with the nominal composition FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ and a transition temperature of $T_{c}\simeq14.6$ K were synthesized by the Bridgman method. The structural and anisotropic superconducting properties of those crystals were investigated by means of single crystal X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, SQUID and torque magnetometry, and muon-spin rotation. Room temperature neutron powder diffraction reveals that 95% of the crystal volume is of the same tetragonal structure as PbO. The structure refinement yields a stoichiometry of Fe_1.045Se_0.406Te_0.594. Additionally, a minor hexagonal Fe_7Se_8 impurity phase was identified. The magnetic penetration depth \lambda at zero temperature was found to be 491(8) nm in the ab-plane and 1320(14) nm along the c-axis. The zero-temperature value of the superfluid density \rho_s(0) \lambda^-2(0) obeys the empirical Uemura relation observed for various unconventional superconductors, including cuprates and iron-pnictides. The temperature dependences of both \lambda_ab and \lambda_c are well described by a two-gap s+s-wave model with the zero-temperature gap values of \Delta_S(0)=0.51(3) meV and \Delta_L(0)=2.61(9) meV for the small and the large gap, respectively. The magnetic penetration depth anisotropy parameter \gamma_\lambda(T)=\lambda_c(T)/\lambda_{ab}(T) increases with decreasing temperature, in agreement with \gamma_\lambda(T) observed in the iron-pnictide superconductors.