Superconductivity and phase diagrams of CaK(Fe1-xMnx)4As4 single crystals

In order to study the effects of Mn substitution on the superconducting and magnetic ground state of CaKFe4As4 (T-c = 35 K), members of the CaK(Fe1-xMnx)(4)As-4 series have been synthesized by high-temperature solution growth in single-crystalline form and characterized by elemental analysis, thermodynamic, and transport measurements. These measurements show that the superconducting transition temperature decreases monotonically and is finally suppressed below 1.8 K as x is increased from 0 to 0.036. For x values greater than 0.016, signatures of a magnetic transition can be detected in both thermodynamic and transport measurements in which kinklike features allow for the determination of the transition temperature T* that increases as Mn substitution increases. A temperature-composition (T -x) phase diagram is constructed, revealing a half-dome of superconductivity with the magnetic transition temperature T* appearing near 26 K for x similar to 0.017 and rising slowly up to 33 K for x similar to 0.036. In addition to the creation of the T -x phase diagram for CaK(Fe1-xMnx)(4)As-4, specific-heat data are used to track the jump in specific heat at T-c; the CaK(Fe1-xMnx)(4)As-4 data do not follow the scaling of Delta C-p with T-c(3) as many of the other Fe-based superconducting systems do. These data suggest that, as magnetic pair breaking is present, the jump in C-p for a given T-c is reduced. Elastoresistivity coefficients 2m(66) and m(11) - m(12) as a function of temperature are also measured. 2m(66) and m(11) - m(12) are qualitatively similar to CaK(Fe1-xNix)(4)As-4. This may indicate that the magnetic order in Mn-substituted system may be still the same as CaK(Fe1-xNix)(4)As-4. Superconductivity of CaK(Fe1-xMnx)(4)As-4 is also studied as a function of magnetic field. A clear change in H-c2'(T)/T-c, where H-c2'(T) is dH(c2)(T)/dT, at x similar to 0.015 is observed and probably is related to change of the Fermi surface due to magnetic order. Coherence lengths and the London penetration depths are also calculated based on H-c1 and H-c2 data. Coherence lengths as the function of x also show the changes near x = 0.015, again consistent with Fermi-surface changes associated with the magnetic ordering seen for higher-x values.

Automated summary

In this study, the effects of Mn substitution on the superconducting and magnetic ground state of CaKFe4As4 were investigated. It was found that Mn substitution decreases the superconducting transition temperature and induces a magnetic transition. A temperature-composition phase diagram was constructed, and the influence of Mn substitution on the elastoresistivity and superconductivity under a magnetic field was also studied.