Hall effect in superconducting Fe(Se0.5Te0.5) thin films

The Hall effect is investigated for eight superconducting Fe(Se_0.5_Te_0.5_) thin films grown on MgO and LaSrAlO_4_ substrates with different transition temperatures (T_c_). The normal Hall coefficients (R_H_) have positive values with magnitude of 1 - 1.5 x 10^-3^ cm^3^/C at room temperature for the all samples. With decreasing temperature, we find two characteristic types of behavior in R_H_(T) depending on T_c_. For thin films with lower T_c_ (typically T_c_ < 5 K), R_H_ start decreasing approximately below T = 250 K toward a negative side, some of which shows sign reversal at T = 50 - 60 K, but turns positive toward T = 0 K. On the other hand for the films with higher T_c_ (typically T_c_ > 9 K), R_ H_ leaves almost unchanged down to T = 100 K, and then starts decreasing toward a negative side. Around the temperatures when R_H_ changes its sign from positive to negative, obvious nonlinearity is observed in the field-dependence of Hall resistance as to keep the low-field R_H_ positive while the high-field R_H_ negative. Thus the electronic state just above T_c_ is characterized by n_e_ (electron density) > n_h_ (hole density) with keeping \mu_e_ < \mu_h_. These results suggest the dominance of electron density to the hole density is an essential factor for the occurence of superconductivity in Fe-chalcogenide superconductors.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, revised version for Physical Review B. accepted for publication in Physical Review

Reentrant Spin-Peierls Transition in Mg-Doped CuGeO_3

We report a synchrotron x-ray scattering study of the diluted spin-Peierls (SP) material Cu_{1-x}Mg_xGeO_3. In a recent paper we have shown that the SP dimerization attains long-range order only for x < x_c = 0.022(0.001). Here we report that the SP transition is reentrant in the vicinity of the critical concentration x_c. This is manifested by broadening of the SP dimerization superlattice peaks below the reentrance temperature, T_r, which may mean either the complete loss of the long-range SP order or the development of a short-range ordered component within the long-range ordered SP state. Marked hysteresis and very large relaxation times are found in the samples with Mg concentrations in the vicinity of x_c. The reentrant transition is likely related to the competing Neel transition which occurs at a temperature similar to T_r. We argue that impurity-induced competing interchain interactions play an essential role in these phenomena.Comment: 5 pages, 4 embedded eps figure

Ferromagnetism and large negative magnetoresistance in Pb doped Bi-Sr-Co-O misfit-layer compound

Ferromagnetism and accompanying large negative magnetoresistance in Pb-substituted Bi-Sr-Co-O misfit-layer compound are investigated in detail. Recent structural analysis of (Bi,Pb)${}_2$Sr${}_{3}$Co${}_2$O${}_9$, which has been believed to be a Co analogue of Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_{8+\delta}$, revealed that it has a more complex structure including a CoO${}_2$ hexagonal layer [T. Yamamoto {\it et al.}, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. {\bf 39} (2000) L747]. Pb substitution for Bi not only introduces holes into the conducting CoO${}_2$ layers but also creates a certain amount of localized spins. Ferromagnetic transition appears at $T$ = 3.2 K with small spontaneous magnetization along the $c$ axis, and around the transition temperature large and anisotropic negative magnetoresistance was observed. This compound is the first example which shows ferromagnetic long-range order in a two-dimensional metallic hexagnonal CoO${}_2$ layer.Comment: 8 pages including eps figures. To be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Microscopic analysis of the chemical reaction between Fe(Te,Se) thin films and underlying CaF2_2

To understand the chemical reaction at the interface of materials, we performed a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation in four types of Fe(Te,Se) superconducting thin films prepared on different types of substrates: CaF2 substrate, CaF2 substrate with a CaF2 buffer layer, CaF2 substrate with a FeSe buffer layer, and a LaAlO3 substrate with a CaF2 buffer layer. Based on the energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) analysis, we found possible interdiffusion between fluorine and selenium that has a strong influence on the superconductivity in Fe(Te,Se) films. The chemical interdiffusion also plays a significant role in the variation of the lattice parameters. The lattice parameters of the Fe(Te,Se) thin films are primarily determined by the chemical substitution of anions, and the lattice mismatch only plays a secondary role.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figur

Physical properties of misfit-layered (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Co-O system: Effect of hole doping into triangular lattice formed by low-spin Co ions

Pb-doping effect on physical properties of misfit-layered (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Co-O system, in which Co ions form a two-dimensional triangular lattice, was investigated in detail by electronic transport, magnetization and specific-heat measurements. Pb doping enhances the metallic behavior, suggesting that carriers are doped. Pb doping also enhances the magnetic correlation in this system and increases the magnetic transition temperature. We found the existence of the short-range magnetic correlation far above the transition temperature, which seems to induce the spin-glass state coexisting with the ferromagnetic long-range order at low temperatures. Specific-heat measurement suggests that the effective mass of the carrier in (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Co-O is not enhanced so much as reported in NaCo${}_2$O${}_4$. Based on these experimental results, we propose a two-bands model which consists of narrow $a_{1g}$ and rather broad $e'{}_g$ bands. The observed magnetic property and magnetotransport phenomena are explained well by this model

Impurity-induced transition and impurity-enhanced thermopower in the thermoelectric oxide NaCo_{2-x}Cu_x$O_4

Various physical quantities are measured and analysed for the Cu-substituted thermoelectric oxide NaCo_{2-x}Cu_xO_4. As was previously known, the substituted Cu enhances the thermoelectric power, while it does not increase the resistivity significantly. The susceptibility and the electron specific-heat are substantially decreased with increasing x, which implies that the substituted Cu decreases the effective-mass enhancement. Through a quantitative comparison with the heavy fermion compounds and the valence fluctuation systems, we have found that the Cu substitution effectively increases the coupling between the conduction electron and the magnetic fluctuation. The Cu substitution induces a phase transition at 22 K that is very similar to a spin-density-wave transition.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Structural phase control of (La1.48_{1.48}Nd0.40_{0.40}Sr0.12_{0.12})CuO4_4 thin films by epitaxial growth technique

Epitaxial growth of (La$_{1.48}$Nd$_{0.40}$Sr$_{0.12}$)CuO$_4$ thin films was studied by pulsed-laser deposition technique on three different substrates, SrTiO$_3$ (100), LaSrAlO$_4$ (001), and YAlO$_3$ (001). The (Nd,Sr,Ce)$_2$CuO$_4$-type structure appears at the initial growth stage on SrTiO$_3$ (100) when the film is deposited under the growth conditions optimized for (La,Sr)$_2$CuO$_4$. This (Nd,Sr,Ce)$_2$CuO$_4$-type structure can be eliminated by increasing the substrate temperature and the laser repetition frequency. Films on LaSrAlO$_4$ (001) maintain a La$_2$CuO$_4$-type structure as bulk samples, but those on YAlO$_3$ (001) show phase separation into La$_2$CuO$_4$- and Nd$_2$CuO$_4$-type structures. Such complicated results are explained in terms of the competition between lattice misfit and thermodynamic conditions. Interestingly the films with La$_2$CuO$_4$-type structure prepared on SrTiO$_3$ and LaSrAlO$_4$ show different surface structures and transport properties. The results indicate the possibility of controlling charge stripes of (La$_{1.48}$Nd$_{0.40}$Sr$_{0.12}$)CuO$_4$ as was demonstrated in (La,Ba)$_2$CuO$_4$ thin films by Sato et al. (Phys. Rev. B {\bf 62}, R799 (2000)).Comment: 5 pages, 6 EPS figure, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.