paper

Structure and composition of the superconducting phase in alkali iron selenide KFeSe

arXiv:1404.3715 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.89.134509

Abstract

We use neutron diffraction to study the temperature evolution of the average structure and local lattice distortions in insulating and superconducting potassium iron selenide KFeSe. In the high temperature paramagnetic state, both materials have a single phase with crystal structure similar to that of the BaFeAs family of iron pnictides. While the insulating KFeSe forms a iron vacancy ordered block antiferromagnetic (AF) structure at low-temperature, the superconducting compounds spontaneously phase separate into an insulating part with iron vacancy order and a superconducting phase with chemical composition of KFeSe and BaFeAs structure. Therefore, superconductivity in alkaline iron selenides arises from alkali deficient KFeSe in the matrix of the insulating block AF phase.

10 pages, 5 figures

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