The role of different negatively charged layers in Ca10(Fe1-xPtxAs)10(Pt3+yAs8) and superconductivity at 30 K in electron-doped (Ca0.8La0.2)10(FeAs)10(Pt3As8)

TL;DR

This study reveals that high-temperature superconductivity in Ca10(Fe1-xPtxAs)10(Pt3+yAs8) compounds depends on charge doping of FeAs layers, with platinum substitution being detrimental, and demonstrates superconductivity at 30 K in electron-doped La-1038 without platinum substitution.

Contribution

It uncovers the charge doping mechanism involving negatively charged layers in iron-based superconductors and shows that platinum substitution suppresses Tc, highlighting the importance of charge balance for high Tc.

Findings

Superconductivity up to 38 K occurs only with minimal platinum substitution.

Charge doping of FeAs layers is crucial for high Tc.

Superconductivity at 30 K is achieved in La-1038 without platinum substitution.

Abstract

The recently discovered compounds Ca10(Fe1-xPtxAs)10(Pt3+yAs8) exhibit superconductivity up to 38 K, and contain iron arsenide (FeAs) and platinum arsenide (Pt3+yAs8) layers separated by layers of Ca atoms. We show that high Tc's above 15 K only emerge if the iron-arsenide layers are at most free of platinum-substitution (x \rightarrow 0) in contrast to recent reports. In fact Pt-substitution is detrimental to higher Tc, which increases up to 38 K only by charge doping of pure FeAs layers. We point out, that two different negatively charged layers [(FeAs)10]n- and (Pt3+yAs8)m- compete for the electrons provided by the Ca2+ ions, which is unique in the field of iron-based superconductors. In the parent compound Ca10(FeAs)10(Pt3As8), no excess charge dopes the FeAs-layer, and superconductivity has to be induced by Pt-substitution, albeit below 15 K. In contrast, the additional Pt-atom in the Pt4As8layer shifts the charge balance between the layers equivalent to charge doping by 0.2 electrons per FeAs. Only in this case Tc raises to 38 K, but decreases again if additionally platinum is substituted for iron. This charge doping scenario is supported by our discovery of superconductivity at 30 K in the electron-doped La-1038 compound (Ca0.8La0.2)10(FeAs)10(Pt3As8) without significant Pt-substitution.