High-pressure growth effect on the properties of high-Tc iron-based superconductors: A short review

TL;DR

This review discusses how high-pressure growth techniques improve the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of iron-based superconductors, highlighting the benefits of pressures up to 1.8 GPa in synthesis.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive overview of high-pressure synthesis methods and their effects on enhancing the properties of various iron-based superconductors.

Findings

High-pressure growth enhances transition temperature and critical current density.

Sample quality and density are improved through intergrain connections.

A growth pressure of 0.5 GPa is optimal for high-quality IBS bulks.

Abstract

The high-pressure growth technique is a vital approach that facilitates the stabilization of new phases and allows for meticulous control of structural parameters, which significantly impact electronic and magnetic properties. We present a short review of our ongoing investigations into various families of iron-based superconductors (IBS), employing the high-gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) method. This technique is capable of producing the gas pressures up to 1.8 GPa and a heating temperature of up to 1700 {\deg}C through a three-zone furnace within a cylindrical chamber. Different kinds of IBS samples are prepared using HPHTS and characterized through various measurements to reach the final conclusions. The results demonstrate that the high-pressure growth technique significantly enhances the properties of IBS, including the transition temperature, critical current density, and pinning force. In addition, the quality of the samples and their density are improved through the intergrain connections. Furthermore, the comprehensive evaluations and investigations prove that a growth pressure of 0.5 GPa is sufficient for producing high-quality IBS bulks under the optimized synthesis conditions.