Metastable superconducting state in quenched K_xFe_2−ySe₂

Abstract

By direct quenching or post-annealing followed by quenching, we have successfully obtained a series of K _x Fe_2−y Se₂ samples with different properties. It is found that the samples directly quenched in the cooling process of growth show superconductivity and the one cooled with a furnace is insulating even though their stoichiometries are similar. The sample cooled with the furnace can be tuned from insulating to superconducting by post-annealing and then quenching. Based on these two points, we conclude that the superconducting state in K _x Fe_2−y Se₂ is metastable, and quenching is the key point to achieve the superconducting state. The similar stoichiometries of all the non-superconducting and superconducting samples indicate that the iron valence does not play a decisive role in determining whether a K _x Fe_2−y Se₂ sample is superconducting. Combining with the result obtained in the K _x Fe_2−y Se₂ thin films prepared by molecular beam epitaxy, we argue that our superconducting sample partly corresponds to the phase without iron vacancies as evidenced by scanning tunneling microscopy and the insulating sample mainly corresponds to the phase with the vacancy order. Quenching may play the role of freezing the phase without iron vacancies.

Keywords:

• K _x Fe_2−y Se₂
• direct quenching
• post-annealing and then quenching
• insulating
• superconducting
• metastable
• iron vacancies

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (973 project: 2011CBA00102).