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Growth of (NaxKy)FezSe2 crystals aided by reduction reaction from chlorides flux at low temperatures

Gang Wang ,  Tianping Ying ,  Yaobo Huang ,  Shifeng Jin ,  Lei Yan ,  Hong Ding ,  Xiaolong Chen 

Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOPCAS), No.8 Nansanjie, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, China

Abstract

The discoveries of superconductivity at about 30 K in AxFe2-ySe2 (A = K, Cs, Rb, Tl/Rb, Tl/K)[1-5] have stimulated significant interest for the remarkably distinct structural and physical characteristics displayed in these metal-intercalated iron selenide superconductors. However, the presence of phase separations in the materials severely thwarts the attempts to unambiguously identify the superconducting phases and to understand the underlying mechanisms. Many efforts have been devoted to obtain phase-pure or superconducting-dominated single crystals by high-temperature routes and not succeeded. New strategies are needed to overcome this key problem. Here we report that (NaxKy)FezSe2 crystals are successfully prepared in NaCl/KCl flux at low temperatures~720 °C. A reduction reaction that converts K in KCl into metal K by metal Na plays a crucial role in the growth of crystals. It is found that K is more preferred than Na to enter in between FeSe layers and forms the superconducting phase. Thus-obtained superconducting crystals contain more superconducting phase in volume fraction than those by high-temperature routes and exhibit new features in transport property. Our results provide a new effective synthetic route for preparing quality crystals of iron selenide superconductors.

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Presentation: Oral at 17th International Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy - ICCGE-17, Topical Session 1, by Gang Wang
See On-line Journal of 17th International Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy - ICCGE-17

Submitted: 2013-03-30 11:39
Revised:   2013-04-29 12:01