Nanoscale phase separation in the iron chalcogenide superconductor K0.8Fe1.6Se2 as seen via scanning nanofocused x-ray diffraction

被引：223

作者：

Ricci, A. ^{[1
]}

Poccia, N. ^{[1
]}

Campi, G. ^{[2
]}

Joseph, B. ^{[1
,3
]}

Arrighetti, G. ^{[4
]}

Barba, L. ^{[4
]}

Reynolds, M. ^{[5
]}

Burghammer, M. ^{[5
]}

Takeya, H. ^{[3
]}

Mizuguchi, Y. ^{[3
]}

Takano, Y. ^{[3
]}

Colapietro, M. ^{[2
]}

Saini, N. L. ^{[1
]}

Bianconi, A. ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Roma La Sapienza, Dept Phys, Ple A Moro 2, I-00185 Rome, Italy

[2] CNR, Inst Crystallog, Monterotondo Stn, I-00016 Monterotondo, Italy

[3] Natl Inst Mat Sci, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3050047, Japan

[4] Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, I-34149 Trieste, Italy

[5] European Synchrotron Radiat Facil, F-38043 Grenoble, France

来源：

PHYSICAL REVIEW B | 2011年 / 84卷 / 06期

关键词：

HETEROSTRUCTURES; TRANSITION;

D O I：

10.1103/PhysRevB.84.060511

中图分类号：

T [工业技术];

学科分类号：

08 ;

摘要：

Advanced synchrotron radiation focusing down to a size of 300 nm has been used to visualize nanoscale phase separation in the K0.8Fe1.6Se2 superconducting system using scanning nanofocus single-crystal x-ray diffraction. The results show an intrinsic phase separation in K0.8Fe1.6Se2 single crystals at T < 520 K, revealing the coexistence of (i) a magnetic phase characterized by an expanded lattice with superstructures due to Fe vacancy ordering and (ii) a nonmagnetic phase with an in-plane compressed lattice. The spatial distribution of the two phases at 300 K shows a frustrated or arrested nature of the phase separation. The space-resolved imaging of the phase separation permitted us to provide direct evidence of nanophase domains smaller than 300 nm and different micrometer-sized regions with percolating magnetic or nonmagnetic domains forming a multiscale complex network of the two phases.

引用

页数：4