The superconducting penetration depth, $lambda(T)$, has been measured in RFeAsO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$ (R=La,Nd) single crystals (R-1111). In Nd-1111, we find an upturn in $lambda(T)$ upon cooling and attribute it to the paramagnetism of the Nd ions, simil
ar to the case of the electron-doped cuprate Nd-Ce-Cu-O. After the correction for paramagnetism, the London penetration depth variation is found to follow a power-law behavior, $Delta lambda_L(T)propto T^{2}$ at low temperatures. The same $T^2$ variation of $lambda(T)$ was found in non-magnetic La-1111 crystals. Analysis of the superfluid density and of penetration depth anisotropy over the full temperature range is consistent with two-gap superconductivity. Based on this and on our previous work, we conclude that both the RFeAsO (1111) and BaFe$_2$As$_2$ (122) families of pnictide superconductors exhibit unconventional two-gap superconductivity.
Single crystalline samples of Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ with $x < 0.12$ have been grown and characterized via microscopic, thermodynamic and transport measurements. With increasing Co substitution, the thermodynamic and transport signatures of t
he structural (high temperature tetragonal to low temperature orthorhombic) and magnetic (high temperature non magnetic to low temperature antiferromagnetic) transitions are suppressed at a rate of roughly 15 K per percent Co. In addition, for $x ge 0.038$ superconductivity is stabilized, rising to a maximum $T_c$ of approximately 23 K for $x approx 0.07$ and decreasing for higher $x$ values. The $T - x$ phase diagram for Ba(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ indicates that either superconductivity can exist in both low temperature crystallographic phases or that there is a structural phase separation. Anisotropic, superconducting, upper critical field data ($H_{c2}(T)$) show a significant and clear change in anisotropy between samples that have higher temperature structural phase transitions and those that do not. These data show that the superconductivity is sensitive to the suppression of the higher temperature phase transition.
We use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to investigate the electronic properties of the newly discovered oxypnictide superconductor, NdFeAsO_{1-x}F_x. We find a well-defined Fermi surface that consists of a large hole pocket at the B
rillouin zone center and a smaller electron pocket in each corner of the Brillouin zone. The overall location and shape of the Fermi surface agrees reasonably well with calculations. The band dispersion is quite complicated with many flat bands located just below the chemical potential. We observe a superconducting gap of 20 meV, which indicates that this system is in the strong coupling regime. The emergence of a coherent peak below the critical temperature Tc and diminished spectral weight at the chemical potential above Tc closely resembles the spectral characteristics of the cuprates.
Magneto-optical imaging was used to study the local magnetization in polycrystalline NdFeAsO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$ (NFAOF). Individual crystallites up to $sim200times100times30$ $mu m^{3}$ in size could be mapped at various temperatures. The in-grain, per
sistent current density is about $jsim10^{5}$ A/cm$^{2}$ and the magnetic relaxation rate in a remanent state peaks at about $T_{m}sim38$ K. By comparison with with the total magnetization measured in a bar-shaped, dense, polycrystalline sample, we suggest that NdFeAsO$_{0.9}$F$_{0.1}$ is similar to a layered high-$T_{c}$, compound such as Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+x}$ and exhibits a $3Dto2D$ crossover in the vortex structure. The 2D Ginzburg parameter is about $Gi^{2D}% simeq10^{-2}$ implying electromagnetic anisotropy as large as $epsilon sim1/30$. Below $T_{m}$, the static and dynamic behaviors are consistent with collective pinning and creep.
