Zn doping reveals robust two-gap superconductivity in FeSe
Researchers using the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility have found that zinc doping unexpectedly alters the superconducting properties of iron selenide (FeSe) while preserving its two-gap superconducting state.
Researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science and other institutions have discovered that zinc doping significantly alters the superconducting properties of iron selenide (FeSe) without destroying its two-gap superconducting state. The study, published in Physical Review B, provides new insights into the nature of superconductivity in iron-based materials.
By introducing zinc, a nonmagnetic element, into FeSe crystals, the researchers observed a nonmonotonic evolution of the superconducting transition temperature, suggesting that impurity scattering and the material's multiband electronic structure have competing effects. Low-temperature specific heat measurements revealed that FeSe retains its two-gap superconducting state, with one gap exhibiting an anisotropic extended s-wave structure and the other an isotropic s-wave gap, even as the zinc concentration varied.
The findings suggest that zinc doping causes local distortions and defects within the crystal structure, increasing electron scattering while preserving the material's distinct superconducting characteristics.
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