Insulator-to-Superconductor Transition upon Electron Doping in a BiS$_{2}$-Based Superconductor Sr$_{1-x}$La$_{x}$FBiS$_{2}$

Abstract

Effects of electron doping on the BiS$_2$-based superconductors Sr$_{1-x}$La$_x$FBiS$_2$ ($0\le x\le 0.6$) have been investigated using the systematically synthesized polycrystals. The pristine compound is a band insulator with the BiS$_2$ layer, which accommodates electron carriers through the La substitution for Sr, as evidenced by the change in x-ray absorption spectra reflecting the occupancy of Bi 6$p$ orbitals. With increasing the carrier density, the resistivity progressively decreases and a bad metallic state appears for $x\ge0.45$, where bulk superconductivity manifests itself below approximately 3 K. The value of $T_{\rm c}$ gradually increases with decreasing $x$ from 0.6 to 0.45 and immediately decreases down to zero at the critical concentration of $x\sim 0.4$, resulting in an insulator-superconductor transition highly sensitive to the carrier density. Thermodynamic measurements furthermore have revealed the possible enhancement of the superconducting coupling strength as the insulating phase is approached. The obtained superconducting phase diagram is markedly different from the broad dome-shaped superconducting phase previously reported for $R$O$_{1-x}$F$_x$BiS$_2$ ($R$: rare-earth ion), suggesting a strong influence of the blocking layer on the superconductivity. Instead all these features are similar to those observed in Li-intercalated ZrNCl superconductor, except for the critical electron concentration of as low as 6% in the latter compound. For the present superconductor, notably, the existence of hole-type carriers has been indicated in the normal state from the Hall effect measurements. The Sr$_{1-x}$La$_x$FBiS$_2$ system providing the phase diagram for the rigid-band doping in the BiS$_2$ layer would be another prototypical example of superconductivity derived from a doped layered band insulator, hosting both hole-like and electron-like Fermi surfaces.