Phase diagram of K(x)Fe(2-y)Se(2-z)S(z) and the suppression of its superconducting state by an Fe2-Se/S tetrahedron distortion

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Sep 23;107(13):137002. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.137002. Epub 2011 Sep 19.

Abstract

We report structurally tuned superconductivity in a K(x)Fe(2-y)Se(2-z)S(z) (0 ≤ z ≤ 2) phase diagram. Superconducting T(c) is suppressed as S is incorporated into the lattice, eventually vanishing at 80% of S. The magnetic and conductivity properties can be related to stoichiometry on a poorly occupied Fe1 site and the local environment of a nearly fully occupied Fe2 site. The decreasing T(c) coincides with the increasing Fe1 occupancy and the overall increase in Fe stoichiometry from z = 0 to z = 2. Our results indicate that the irregularity of the Fe2-Se/S tetrahedron is an important controlling parameter that can be used to tune the ground state in the new superconductor family.