# Coexistence of Eu-antiferromagnetism and pressure-induced superconductivity in EuFe2As2 single crystal

## TL;DR

This study reveals that EuFe2As2 exhibits coexistence of Eu-antiferromagnetism and pressure-induced superconductivity, with structural and magnetic transitions evolving under hydrostatic pressure, indicating strong electron-lattice coupling.

## Contribution

It provides the first detailed neutron diffraction evidence of simultaneous Eu-antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in EuFe2As2 under pressure.

## Key findings

- Suppression of structural and Fe SDW transitions with pressure.
- Robust Eu-antiferromagnetism up to 24.7 kbar.
- Evidence of bulk superconductivity at 27 K.

## Abstract

By performing high-pressure single-crystal neutron diffraction measurements, the evolution of structure and magnetic ordering in EuFe2As2 under hydrostatic pressure were investigated. Both the tetragonal-toorthorhombic structural transition and the Fe spin-density-wave (SDW) transition are gradually suppressed and become decoupled with increasing pressure. The antiferromagnetic order of the Eu sublattice is, however, robust against the applied pressure up to 24.7 kbar, without showing any change of the ordering temperature. Under the pressure of 24.7 kbar, the lattice parameters of EuFe2As2 display clear anomalies at 27(3) K, well consistent with the superconducting transition observed in previous high-pressure resistivity measurements. Such an anomalous thermal expansion around Tc strongly suggests the appearance of bulk superconductivity and strong electron-lattice coupling in EuFe2As2 induced by the hydrostatic pressure. The coexistence of long-range ordered Eu-antiferromagnetism and pressure-induced superconductivity is quite rare in the EuFe2As2-based iron pnictides.