Soohyeon Shin

Superconductivity at 7.4 K in Few Layer Graphene by Li-intercalation

Superconductivity in graphene has been highly sought after for its promise in various device applications and for general scientific interest. Ironically, the simple electronic structure of graphene, which is responsible for novel quantum phenomena, hinders the emergence of superconductivity. Theory predicts that doping the surface of the graphene effectively alters the electronic structure, thus promoting propensity towards Cooper pair instability (Profeta et al (2012) Nat. Phys. 8 131-4; Nandkishore et al (2012) Nat. Phys. 8 158-63) [1, 2]. Here we report the emergence of superconductivity at 7.4 K in Li-intercalated few-layer-graphene (FLG). The absence of superconductivity in 3D Li-doped graphite underlines that superconductivity in Li-FLG arises from the novel electronic properties of the 2D graphene layer. These results are expected to guide future research on graphene-based superconductivity, both in theory and experiments. In addition, easy control of the Li-doping process holds promise for various device applications.

Hidden non-Fermi liquid behavior caused by magnetic phase transition in Ni-doped Ba-122 pnictides.

We studied two BaFe2−xNixAs2 (Ni-doped Ba-122) single crystals at two different doping levels (underdoped and optimally doped) using an optical spectroscopic technique. The underdoped sample shows a magnetic phase transition around 80 K. We analyze the data with a Drude-Lorentz model with two Drude components (D1 and D2). It is known that the narrow D1 component originates from electron carriers in the electron-pockets and the broad D2 mode is from hole carriers in the hole-pockets. While the plasma frequencies of both Drude components and the static scattering rate of the broad D2 component show negligible temperature dependencies, the static scattering rate of the D1 mode shows strong temperature dependence for the both samples. We observed a hidden quasi-linear temperature dependence in the scattering rate of the D1 mode above and below the magnetic transition temperature while in the optimally doped sample the scattering rate shows a more quadratic temperature dependence. The hidden non-Fermi liquid behavior in the underdoped sample seems to be related to the magnetic phase of the material.

Manipulating superconducting phases via current-driven magnetic states in rare-earth-doped CaFe 2 As 2

Inhomogeneous superconductivity in rare-earth (RE)-doped CaFe2As2 (Ca122) compounds leads to a novel state of matter in which the superconducting and magnetic states can be simultaneously controlled by using an electric current (I). Both La- and Ce-doped Ca122 single crystals show a very broad superconducting transition width (ΔTc) due to their non-bulk nature. Surprisingly, ΔTc becomes sharper or broader after an electric current larger than a threshold value (It) is applied, with a concomitant change in the normal-state magnetism. The sharpened (broadened) ΔTc is accompanied by a decrease (an increase) in the amplitude of the ferromagnetic signals. The sensitive changes in the superconductivity and magnetism that occur when an external current is applied are related to the inhomogeneous electronic states that originate from the Fe magnetic state and/or self-organized superconducting/magnetic composites in Ca122 compounds. These discoveries shed new light on the role of Fe in Fe-based superconductors and will provide new ideas for the design of novel superconducting devices.Superconductors: Using current to peek behind the iron curtainClues to the superconducting behavior of a complex, iron-based substance can be revealed with a technique based on electric current. When rare-earth atoms are incorporated into calcium–iron–arsenic (CaFe2As2) crystals, simultaneous magnetic and superconductive properties emerge after cooling below 50 K. Soon-Gil Jung and Tuson Park from South Korea’s Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, and colleagues report that passing milliamp-level electric currents through rare-earth-doped CaFe2As2 causes unexpected shifts in superconducting transition temperatures and magnetic field responses. In some samples, a sharpening of the superconductivity onset point was accompanied by a loss of magnetic signals, while in others magnetism improved at the expense of well-defined superconducting temperatures. The researchers conclude that these changes arise from inhomogeneities within doped CaFe2As2, possibly from iron magnetic states or tiny self-assembled nanocomposites that become unstable past a current threshold.Large inhomogeneous electronic states in rare-earth-doped CaFe2As2 produce striking results of manipulating the superconducting phases via current-driven magnetic state. Magnetization hysteresis loops at superconducting state (2 K) and normal state (50 K) for La-doped CaFe2As2 are largely changed by the electric current because their high-Tc regions are localized. Current path between high-Tc regions is considered as a long wire, thus current-induced large magnetic field around the path can modulate the magnetic state in normal/weak superconducting regions. These observations provide new insights into the role of Fe in the Fe-based superconductors and ideas for the design of new superconducting devices.

Enhanced magnetic and thermoelectric properties in epitaxial polycrystalline SrRuO3 thin films

Transition metal oxide thin films show versatile electric, magnetic, and thermal properties which can be tailored by deliberately introducing macroscopic grain boundaries via polycrystalline solids. In this study, we focus on the modification of magnetic and thermal transport properties by fabricating single- and polycrystalline epitaxial SrRuO3 thin films using pulsed laser epitaxy. Using the epitaxial stabilization technique with an atomically flat polycrystalline SrTiO3 substrate, an epitaxial polycrystalline SrRuO3 thin film with the crystalline quality of each grain comparable to that of its single-crystalline counterpart is realized. In particular, alleviated compressive strain near the grain boundaries due to coalescence is evidenced structurally, which induced the enhancement of ferromagnetic ordering of the polycrystalline epitaxial thin film. The structural variations associated with the grain boundaries further reduce the thermal conductivity without deteriorating the electronic transport, and lead to an enhanced thermoelectric efficiency in the epitaxial polycrystalline thin films, compared with their single-crystalline counterpart.

Anisotropic upper critical field in pressure-induced CrAs superconductor

We report the upper critical field (Hc2) and its anisotropy in the pressure-induced superconductor CrAs. At ambient pressure, CrAs shows an antiferromagnetic phase transition at TN ∼ 264 K, where magnetostriction occurs simultaneously. TN is rapidly suppressed with increasing pressure and bulk superconductivity is induced near 7 kbar, above which the signature associated with TN is not visible in electrical resistivity measurements. With further increasing pressure, the superconducting phase shows a broad dome shape centered at the optimal pressure of 12.2 kbar. The Hc2 anisotropy of CrAs at 12.2 kbar, γHc2 = H//a/H⊥a, increases with decreasing temperature and becomes saturated at lower temperatures. Taken together with the positive curvature in Hc2 near Tc, these results suggest that the pressure-induced superconductor CrAs possesses multiple superconducting gaps.