Magnetic and electronic properties of iron-based superconducting systems

Abstract

<p>This thesis is motivated by the large variety of high-temperature superconductors that contain iron in the superconducting layer. This number has grown rapidly since the discovery in 2008 of the iron-pnictides (and chalcogenides), where iron and arsenic form the superconducting layer. Also of interest are the iron-cuprate hybrid materials, where one out of three copper atoms is replaced by iron. The aim is to understand the superconducting, magnetic and electronic properties of these materials in respect to their iron content. This thesis describes some of these properties for the iron-pnictide compounds of CeFeAsO₁₋xFx and AFe₂As₂ (A=Ba, Sr), and for the ironcuprate hybrids of FeSr₂YCu₂O₆₊y and FeSr₂Y₂₋xCexCu₂O₁₀₋y. Here it has been found that CeFeAsO₁₋xFx follows a 3D fluctuation conductivity above the superconducting transition and the thermal activation energy is correlated to the critical current density within a two fluid-flux creep model below the superconducting transition. NMR measurements show that there is considerable charge disorder within the superconducting doping region. The AFe₂As₂ show a positive magnetoresistance, which could be interpreted through three-carrier transport. Superconducting samples of SrFe₂As₂ display a large enhancement in the magnetoresistance below the superconducting transition up to 1600 %, which is due to three-carrier transport through metallic and superconducting regions in an inhomogeneous state. The superconducting properties of the iron-cuprate FeSr₂YCu₂O₆₊y in respect to the location of iron was studied under the influence of electron and hole doping and with additional magnetic impurities. FeSr₂Y₂₋xCexCu₂O₁₀₋y shows a disorder induced spin-glass state and strong localization depending on the doping.</p>