Microstructure of quasi-one-dimensional superconductor KCr3As3prepared by K-ion deintercalation

Lu Zhang; Jun Li; Qingge Mu; Tong Liu; Dong Yang; Chunhui Zhu; Zhi-An Ren; Huanfang Tian; Zi-An Li; Jianqi Li; Huaixin Yang

doi:10.1088/1361-648X/abe64d

Microstructure of quasi-one-dimensional superconductor KCr₃As₃prepared by K-ion deintercalation

J Phys Condens Matter. 2021 May 3;33(21). doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/abe64d.

Authors

Lu Zhang^{1

2}, Jun Li¹, Qingge Mu^{1

2}, Tong Liu^{1

2}, Dong Yang^{1

3}, Chunhui Zhu¹, Zhi-An Ren^{1

2

4}, Huanfang Tian¹, Zi-An Li¹, Jianqi Li^{1

2

5}, Huaixin Yang^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, People's Republic of China.
² School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100190, People's Republic of China.
³ School of Physics and Information Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, People's Republic of China.
⁶ Yangtze River Delta Physics Research Center Co., Ltd, Liyang, Jiangsu, 213300, People's Republic of China.

PMID: 33588386
DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/abe64d

Abstract

The microstructure of quasi-one-dimensional KCr₃As₃(133) superconductors, which were prepared by chemical cation deintercalation from their counterpart K₂Cr₃As₃(233) compounds, are investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy. The nominal KCr₃As₃crystals generally exhibit irregular nanoscale 133-phase domains accompanied by an amorphous As-deficient phase and cracks as a result of alkali cation deintercalation processes. Analysis of local defective structures reveals the existence of an intermediate state in the transformation from 233 to 133 phase and a possible K-deficient 233-type structure as a nanoscale cluster. Our microscopic investigations offer insight into the microstructure of KCr₃As₃and the alkali metal cation deintercalation processes.

Keywords: KCr3As3; STEM; alkali-cation deintercalation process; microstructure.