Structural and magnetic phase diagram of CeFeAsO(1 x)F(x) and its relation to high-temperature superconductivity

Jun Zhao, Q. Huang, Clarina De La Cruz, Shiliang Li, J. W. Lynn, Y. Chen, M. A. Green, G. F. Chen, G. Li, Z. Li, J. L. Luo, N. L. Wang, Pengcheng Dai

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Abstract

Recently, high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) superconductivity was discovered in the iron pnictide RFeAsO(1-x)F(x) (R, rare-earth metal) family of materials. We use neutron scattering to study the structural and magnetic phase transitions in CeFeAsO(1-x)F(x) as the system is tuned from a semimetal to a high-Tc superconductor through fluorine (F) doping, x. In the undoped state, CeFeAsO develops a structural lattice distortion followed by a collinear antiferromagnetic order with decreasing temperature. With increasing fluorine doping, the structural phase transition decreases gradually and vanishes within the superconductivity dome near x≤0.10, whereas the antiferromagnetic order is suppressed before the appearance of superconductivity for x>0.06, resulting in an electronic phase diagram remarkably similar to that of the high-Tc copper oxides. Comparison of the structural evolution of CeFeAsO(1-x)F(x) with other Fe-based superconductors suggests that the structural perfection of the Fe-As tetrahedron is important for the high-Tc superconductivity in these Fe pnictides.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)953-959
Number of pages7
JournalNature Materials
Volume7
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2008

Funding

FundersFunder number
Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences0756568

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