Superconductivity was achieved in PrFeAsO by partially substituting Pr^{3+} with Sr^{2+}. The electrical transport properties and structure of this new superconductor Pr_{1-x}Sr_xFeAsO at different doping levels (x = 0.05$sim$ 0.25) were investigated systematically. It was found that the lattice constants (a-axis and c-axis) increase monotonously with Sr or hole concentration. The superconducting transition temperature at about 16.3 K (95% $rho_n$) was observed around the doping level of 0.20$sim$ 0.25. A detailed investigation was carried out in the sample with doping level of x = 0.25. The domination of hole-like charge carriers in this material was confirmed by Hall effect measurements. The magnetoresistance (MR) behavior can be well described by a simple two-band model. The upper critical field of the sample with T_c = 16.3 K (x = 0.25) was estimated to be beyond 45 Tesla. Our results suggest that the hole-doped samples may have higher upper critical fields comparing to the electron-doped ones, due to the higher quasi-particle density of states at the Fermi level.
By using solid state reaction method we have fabricated the hole doped $La_{1-x}Sr_xFeAsO$ superconductors with Sr content up to 0.13. It is found that the sharp anomaly at about 150 K and the low temperature upturn of resistivity are suppressed by doping holes into the parent phase. Interestingly both the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ and the lattice constants (a-axis and c-axis) increase monotonously with hole concentration, in sharp contrast with the electron doped side where the $T_c$ increases with a continuing shrinkage of the lattice constants either by dope more fluorine or oxygen vacancies into the system. Our data clearly illustrate that the superconductivity can be induced by doping holes via substituting the trivalent La with divalent Sr in the LaFeAsO system with single FeAs layer, and the $T_c$ in the present system exhibits a symmetric behavior at the electron and hole doped sides, as we reported previously.
We report on synthesis, structural characterization, resistivity, magnetic and thermal expansion measurements on the as yet unexplored $delta$-phase of FeSe$_{1-x}$, here synthesized under ambient- (AP) and high-pressure (HP) conditions. We show that in contrast to $beta$-FeSe$_{1-x}$, monophasic superconducting $delta$-FeSe$_{1-x}$ can be obtained in off-stoichiometric samples with excess Fe atoms preferentially residing in the van der Waals gap between the FeSe layers. The AP $delta$-FeSe$_{1-x}$ sample studied here ($T_c$ $simeq$ 8.5,K) possesses an unprecedented residual resistivity ratio RRR $simeq$ 16. Thermal expansion data reveal a small feature around $sim$90,K, which resembles the anomaly observed at the structural and magnetic transitions for other Fe-based superconductors, suggesting that some kind of magnetic state is formed also in FeSe. %indicative of a fluctuating magnetic ordering. For HP samples (RRR $simeq$ 3), the disorder within the FeSe layers is enhanced through the introduction of vacancies, the saturated magnetic moment of Fe is reduced and only spurious superconductivity is observed.
We report the synthesizing and characterization of the hole doped Ni-based superconductor ($La_{1-x}Sr_{x})NiAsO$. By substituting La with Sr, the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ is increased from 2.4 K of the parent phase $LaNiAsO$ to 3.7 K at the doping levels x= 0.1 - 0.2. The curve $T_c$ versus hole concentration shows a symmetric behavior as the electron doped samples $LaNiAs(O_{1-x}F_{x})$. The normal state resistivity in Ni-based samples shows a good metallic behavior and reveals the absence of spin density wave induced anomaly which appears in the Fe-based system at about 150 K. Hall effect measurements indicate that the electron conduction in the parent phase $LaNiAsO$ is dominated by electron-like charge carriers, while with more Sr doping, a hole-like band will emerge and finally prevail over the conduction, such a phenomenon reflects that the Fermi surface of $LaNiAsO$ comprises of electron pockets and hole pockets, thus the sign of charge carriers could be changed once the contribution of hole pockets overwhelms that of electron pockets. Magnetoresistance measurements and the violation of Kohler rule provide further proof that multiband effect dominate the normal state transport of ($La_{1-x}Sr_{x})NiAsO$.
We report a systematic study of structural and transport properties in single crystals of Ba(Fe_(1-x)Ru_x)_2As_2 for x ranging from 0 to 0.5. The isovalent substitution of Fe by Ru leads to an increase of the a parameter and a decrease of the c parameter, resulting in a strong increase of the AsFeAs angle and a decrease of the As height above the Fe planes. Upon Ru substitution, the magnetic order is progressively suppressed and superconductivity emerges for x > 0.15, with an optimal Tc ~ 20K at x = 0.35 and coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity between these two Ru contents. Moreover, the Hall coefficient RH which is always negative and decreases with temperature in BaFe2As2, is found to increase here with decreasing T and even change sign for x > 0.15. For x_Ru = 0.35, photo-emission studies have shown that the number of holes and electrons are similar with n_e = n_h ~ 0.11, that is twice larger than found in BaFe2As2 [1]. Using this estimate, we find that the transport properties of Ba(Fe_0.65Ru_0.35)_2As_2 can be accounted for by the conventional multiband description for a compensated semi-metal. In particular, our results show that the mobility of holes is strongly enhanced upon Ru addition and overcomes that of electrons at low temperature when x_Ru > 0.15.
We report transport and magnetic relaxation measurements in the mixed state of strongly underdoped Y_{1-x}Pr_{x}Ba_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7} crystals. A transition from thermally activated flux creep to temperature independent quantum flux creep is observed in both transport and magnetic relaxation at temperatures T * 5 K. Flux transformer measurements indicate that the crossover to quantum creep is preceded by a coupling transition. Based on these observations we argue that below the coupling transition the current is confined within a very narrow layer beneath the current contacts.