Iron-based superconductors: Foreword

TL;DR

This paper introduces a special issue on Fe-based superconductors, highlighting their recent discovery, fundamental properties, and significance in condensed matter physics since 2008.

Contribution

It provides an up-to-date overview of the fundamental properties and scientific context of Fe-based superconductors, emphasizing their importance in high-Tc superconductor research.

Findings

Fe-based superconductors exhibit high critical temperatures.

Their properties are closely related to magnetism and electronic structure.

The field has rapidly advanced since 2008.

Abstract

We introduce the thematic (open access) issue published in Comptes Rendus Physique. This issue is focused on the so-called Fe-based superconductors that, since the discovery of superconductivity in F-doped LaFeAsO by Hosono group in 2008, have become one of the latest hot topics in the field of condensed matter. The idea is to give an up-to-date overview of the fundamental properties of this novel family of high-Tc superconductors. First we briefly recall the scientific context of superconductivity and its relationship to magnetism in metallic compounds, and then we detail the specific aspects of Fe-based superconductors addressed in the issue.