$\mu$SR and Neutron Diffraction Investigations on Reentrant Ferromagnetic Superconductor Eu(Fe{0.86}Ir{0.14})2As2

TL;DR

This study combines muon spin relaxation and neutron diffraction to investigate the magnetic and superconducting properties of Eu(Fe$_{0.86}$Ir$_{0.14}$)$_2$As$_2$, revealing a ferromagnetic order coexisting with superconductivity and reentrant behavior due to magnetic competition.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed magnetic structure analysis of Eu(Fe$_{0.86}$Ir$_{0.14}$)$_2$As$_2$ using $bc$SR and neutron diffraction, showing ferromagnetic Eu moments aligned along the c-axis coexisting with superconductivity.

Findings

Superconductivity at ~22.5 K coexists with Eu magnetic order below ~18 K.

Eu moments form a ferromagnetic structure with moments along the c-axis.

No structural transition or Fe moment ordering observed.

Abstract

Results of muon spin relaxation ($\mu$SR) and neutron powder diffraction measurements on a reentrant superconductor Eu(Fe$_{0.86}$Ir$_{0.14}$)$_2$As$_2$ are presented. Eu(Fe$_{0.86}$Ir$_{0.14}$)$_2$As$_2$ exhibits superconductivity at $T_{\rm c\,on} \approx 22.5$~K competing with long range ordered Eu$^{+2}$ moments below $\approx 18$ K. A reentrant behavior (manifested by nonzero resistivity in the temperature range 10--17.5 K) results from an exquisite competition between the superconductivity and magnetic order. The zero field $\mu$SR data confirm the long range magnetic ordering below $T_{\rm Eu} = 18.7(2)$ K. The transition temperature is found to increase with increasing magnetic field in longitudinal field $\mu$SR which along with the neutron diffraction results, suggests the transition to be ferromagnetic. The neutron diffraction data reveal a clear presence of magnetic Bragg peaks below $T_{\rm Eu}$ which could be indexed with propagation vector k = (0, 0, 0), confirming a long range magnetic ordering in agreement with $\mu$SR data. Our analysis of the magnetic structure reveals an ordered magnetic moment of $6.29(5)\,\mu_{\rm B}$ (at 1.8 K) on the Eu atoms and they form a ferromagnetic structure with moments aligned along the $c$-axis. No change in the magnetic structure is observed in the reentrant or superconducting phases and the magnetic structure remains same for 1.8 K $\leq T \leq T_{\rm Eu}$. No clear evidence of structural transition or Fe moment ordering was found.