arXiv subjects

Mohammad Azam

Publications and source records attributed to Mohammad Azam.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature in Mn-doped CaKFe4As4 processed by the high gas-pressure and high-temperature synthesis method

A series of Mn-doped CaKFe4As4 samples, CaK(Fe1-xMnx)4As4 with x values of 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05, are synthesized using two distinct routes: conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure (CSP), and high gas-pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) method. Comprehensive characterizations are performed on these samples to investigate their superconducting properties. This study examines the effects of Mn substitution at Fe sites in the FeAs layer on the superconducting properties of the CaKFe4As4 (1144) material. The HP-HTS process improves the microstructure and phase purity of the parent sample (x = 0), resulting in an enhanced superconducting transition temperature (Tc). In contrast, Mn doping via the CSP method in CaKFe4As4 reduces the sample quality and superconducting performance. Notably, the high-pressure synthesis method leads to an increase in the Tc by 3 to 7 K, particularly at low Mn concentrations. While the critical current density (Jc) of the parent sample (x = 0) shows a significant enhancement under the applied magnetic fields, Jc decreases for Mn-doped CaKFe4As4 bulks. These results demonstrate that high-pressure synthesis is an effective approach to improve the superconducting properties of Mn-doped 1144 compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Fluorine-substitution-dependent phase diagram and superconducting properties of Sm-based oxypnictides synthesized by a high-pressure growth technique

A series of SmFeAsO1-xFx (Sm1111) bulk samples (x = 0.05 to 0.40) are synthesized by an in-situ cubic-anvil high-pressure technique at 4 GPa and systematically characterized through structural, microstructural, Raman, transport, and magnetic measurements. Structural analysis confirms that the tetragonal Sm1111 phase remains dominant across the entire substitution range, with lattice parameters decreasing smoothly as fluorine content increases, demonstrating effective incorporation of F even in the overdoped regime (x = 0.4). Raman spectroscopy provides complementary, local-phase-sensitive evidence that supports the structural analysis and confirms fluorine substitution in the main Sm1111 phase. In the underdoped region, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is enhanced by 10-17 K and the critical current density (Jc) is increased by up to an order of magnitude compared with conventionally synthesized samples at the ambient pressure. The upper critical field, estimated using the WHH model, reaches values approaching 200 T, reflecting strong paramagnetic limitation and multiband effects. TAFF analysis reveals a power-law field dependence of the activation energy, consistent with collective vortex pinning in polycrystalline iron-based superconductors. The superconducting phase diagram constructed from Tc and Jc versus fluorine content reveals a dome-like trend, with a maximum Tc of 57 K and Jc of 10^4 A cm^-2 at the optimal doped region. Comparison with conventionally synthesized Sm1111 samples demonstrates that high-pressure growth significantly extends the effective fluorine substitution range and enhances the superconducting performance, particularly in the underdoped regime. These results establish high-pressure fluorine substitution as an effective materials-engineering approach for tuning the phase diagram and optimizing the superconducting properties of Sm1111.

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arXiv2025

Optimization of superconducting properties of F-doped SmFeAsO by cubic anvil high-pressure technique

We optimize the synthesis conditions for SmFeAsO0.80F0.20 (Sm1111) bulks using a cubic-anvil high-pressure (CA-HP) apparatus through both ex-situ and in-situ processes, applying pressures of up to 4 GPa and heating temperatures of up to 1600{\deg}C. A comprehensive characterization has been performed, including structural, microstructural, transport, and magnetic measurements. Our findings indicate that a modest growth pressure of approximately 0.5 GPa is sufficient for the formation of the Sm1111 phase in the ex-situ process. In contrast, the in-situ process requires higher synthesis pressure (4 GPa) and temperature (1400 {\deg}C for 1 hour) to achieve the Sm1111 phase with enhanced superconducting properties. Notably, the optimized in-situ process significantly reduces the reaction time needed for the formation of the Sm1111 phase compared to conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure (CSP), leading to an increase in the transition temperature by 3 K and improvements in critical current density (Jc). Conversely, the optimized ex-situ process results in an onset transition temperature (Tc) of approximately 53 K, similar to that of CSP, though it enhances the Jc by an order of magnitude. Despite these advancements, a small amount of impurity phases, as observed during CSP, persists in all Sm1111 samples prepared through either the in-situ or ex-situ CA-HP processes. These results suggest that the in-situ process under optimized conditions (1400 {\deg}C, 4 GPa for 1 hour) can effectively improve the superconducting properties of Sm1111. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis comparing these results with high gas pressure techniques, spark plasma sintering, and CSP methods suggests that a small amount of impurity phases in Sm1111 is persistent and cannot be completely eliminated by various pressure techniques, even at the applied pressure of up to 4 GPa.

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arXiv2025

Effect of spark plasma sintering on the superconducting properties of Sm-based oxypnictide

We optimize the superconducting properties of Sm-based oxypnictide (Sm1111: SmFeAsO0.80F0.20) by using the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique under various synthesis conditions, including heating temperatures ranging from 600 to 1000 {\deg}C for durations of 5 to 30 minutes at the applied pressure of 45 MPa. All prepared bulks are characterized by structural and microstructural analysis as well as transport and magnetic measurements to conclude our findings. SmFeAsO0.80F0.20 bulks are also prepared using the conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure (CSP) and the high gas pressure and high temperature (HP-HTS) methods at 500 MPa, which exhibit a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of ~54 K. Interestingly, the SPS process of SmFeAsO0.80F0.20 increases the sample densities up to 97-98% and confirms the optimized synthesis conditions of 900{\deg}C for 5-10 min; however, the increased sintering temperature or duration reduces Tc due to the possible evaporation of lighter elements, particularly fluorine. Furthermore, the SPS technique is unable to reduce the observed impurity phases for the Sm1111, which is similar to the CSP and HP-HTS processes. A slight increment in the Jc by the SPS process is observed due to the enhancement of sample density. A comparative analysis of Sm1111 superconductors prepared by SPS is performed with CSP and HP-HTS processes, suggesting that an increased sample density is ineffective on the superconducting properties in the presence of the impurity phases. This finding can be beneficial for the fundamental and applied research of iron-based superconductor (FBS).

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arXiv2025

Synthesis and characterizations of arsenic doped FeSe bulks

FeSe(11) family has a simple crystal structure belonging to iron-based superconductors (FBS) and has many stable phases including hexagonal and tetragonal structures, but only the tetragonal phase exhibits the superconductivity. In this study, we have investigated the effects of chemical pressure induced by As-doping at Se-sites in the FeSe system by preparing a series of FeSe1-xAsx (x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2) bulks. A broad characterization has been performed on these samples using structural, microstructural, transport, and magnetic measurements. The obtained lattice parameters are increased by As-doping, which suggests the successful insertion of As at Se-sites into the tetragonal lattice for low doping contents up to 5%, whereas the higher As-substitution appears in the form of the FeAs impurity phase. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of all samples has similar behaviour and depicts the highest onset transition temperature of around 11.5 K, but the zero resistivity is not reached until the measured temperature of 7 K, which could be due to the presence of the impurity phases. Our study suggests that a dopant with a large ionic radius, i.e., Arsenic, promotes the formation of the hexagonal phase of the 11 family and is effective for a small amount of doping level for the superconducting properties, whereas higher As-doping levels reduce the superconducting properties.

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arXiv2025

High-pressure growth effect on the properties of high-Tc iron-based superconductors: A short review

The high-pressure growth technique is a vital approach that facilitates the stabilization of new phases and allows for meticulous control of structural parameters, which significantly impact electronic and magnetic properties. We present a short review of our ongoing investigations into various families of iron-based superconductors (IBS), employing the high-gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) method. This technique is capable of producing the gas pressures up to 1.8 GPa and a heating temperature of up to 1700 {\deg}C through a three-zone furnace within a cylindrical chamber. Different kinds of IBS samples are prepared using HPHTS and characterized through various measurements to reach the final conclusions. The results demonstrate that the high-pressure growth technique significantly enhances the properties of IBS, including the transition temperature, critical current density, and pinning force. In addition, the quality of the samples and their density are improved through the intergrain connections. Furthermore, the comprehensive evaluations and investigations prove that a growth pressure of 0.5 GPa is sufficient for producing high-quality IBS bulks under the optimized synthesis conditions.

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arXiv2024

High-pressure growth effects on the superconducting properties of Sm-based oxypnictide superconductors

High-pressure synthesis can be an effective method for improving the sample quality of materials as well as their superconducting properties. In this paper, the synthesis process of F- doped SmFeAsO has been optimized by preparing a series of bulk SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 (Sm1111) using the high gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) method, considering various growth parameters like growth pressures (0-1 GPa) and heating time (0.5-2 h). Structural, microstructural, Raman spectroscopic, transport, and magnetic measurements are employed to comprehensively analyze these bulks and derive the conclusive findings. The parent SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 prepared by the conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure (CSP) has a transition temperature (Tc) of around 53-54 K, and the critical current density (Jc) of 103 A/cm2 at 5 K with a small amount of the impurity phases (SmOF and SmAs), consistent with previous reports. Interestingly, all bulks synthesized by HP-HTS have almost the same Tc and Jc as the parent sample. The optimal growth conditions are obtained as 900C, 1 hour, and 0.5 GPa with the sealed Ta-tube, which slightly improved the sample quality and the superconducting properties compared to other bulks grown by HP-HTS. Our study confirms that the existence of the impurity phases in the 1111 family is very robust and cannot be reduced by HP-HTS, leading to only a small variation in the observed superconducting properties of Sm1111 whether prepared by CSP or HP-HTS. This is the first comprehensive investigation of the high-pressure development of Sm1111, which shows distinct behaviour from other families of iron-based superconductors.

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arXiv2024

Praseodymium doping effect on the superconducting properties of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ bulks under ambient and high-pressure growth conditions

A series of Pr-doped FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ (Fe$_{1-x}$Pr$_x$Se$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$; $x = 0$ to 0.3) bulks are prepared by conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure (CSP), and high gas pressure and high temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) methods. These bulks are well characterized by structural and microstructural analysis, Raman spectroscopy, transport, and magnetic measurements. The HP-HTS process of the parent bulks has enhanced the onset transition temperature ($T_c^{\rm onset}$) by 1.5 K and the critical current density ($J_c$) by two orders of magnitude compared to the CSP method. Pr-doped FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ up to 10% doping content prepared, either CSP or HP-HTS, slightly increases the unit cell volume, and high-pressure growth produces an almost pure superconducting phase, which confirms the successful Pr-doping at Fe sites. Raman spectroscopy measurements and DFT calculations suggest the substitution of Pr-atoms in the interlayer spacing of Fe(Se,Te) lattice. High-pressure growth of Fe$_{1-x}$Pr$_x$Se$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ also makes the sample less dense compared to the parent sample grown by HP-HTS. Transport and magnetic measurements depict that Tconset is almost unaffected by Pr-doping, whereas $J_c$ of Pr-doped FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ is enhanced by one order of magnitude relative to the parent sample developed by CSP but lower than that of the parent sample grown by HP-HTS. Hence, Pr-doping at Fe sites preserves $T_c^{\rm onset}$ and improves $J_c$ of FeSe$_{0.5}$Te$_{0.5}$ regardless of the doping contents and growth conditions. These results are promising for the practical application of iron-based superconductors to improve $J_c$ properties without affecting $T_c^{\rm onset}$ through CSP process and congruent with discoveries from other superconductors, like cuprates and MgB$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Copper doping effects on the superconducting properties of Sm-based oxypnictides

A systematic investigation has been performed by synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a series of SmFe1-xCuxAsO0.8F0.2 bulks (x = 0 to 0.2). These samples are well characterized by structural, Raman spectroscopy, microstructural, transport, magnetic measurements, and supplementary calculations within density functional theory (DFT). The parent compound, SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 (Sm1111), exhibits a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of approximately 54 K. The lattice volume (V) is increased with Cu substitution (x) without observing any impurity phase related to copper, which confirms the successful incorporation of Cu at Fe sites in the superconducting FeAs layers. These analyses are also well in agreement with Raman spectroscopy measurements and relevant DFT results. The superconducting transition is decreased systematically with copper doping and completely suppressed for 7% Cu-doped Sm1111 (x = 0.07). A large amount of Cu substitution (x greater than 0.07) has demonstrated the metal to insulate transition in the low-temperature range, and no impurity phase was observed even at high Cu doping levels (x = 0.2). The calculated critical current density of the parent sample is suppressed with copper substitution, suggesting the reduced pinning centers, sample density, and grain connections, as confirmed by the microstructural analysis. Our studies suggest that the substitution of Cu in the superconducting FeAs layer, resulting the enlargement of the lattice volume, is a source of strong disorder scattering, leading to the suppression of Tc and the emergence of metal-to-insulator, unlike the more successful carrier doping by nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), as previously reported.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Effect of impurity phase and high-pressure synthesis on the superconducting properties of CaKFe4As4

AeAFe4As4 (Ae = Ca, A = K; 1144) having a transition temperature of 35 K is a stoichiometric family of iron-based superconductors (FBS). Here, we present a detailed study of a high-pressure synthesis of CaKFe4As4 bulks to investigate the impact of these conditions on the superconducting properties of the 1144 family. Additionally, these samples are also prepared by conventional synthesis method at ambient pressure (CSP) and studied the influence of impurities on the superconducting properties of CaKFe4As4. Structural, microstructural, transport and magnetization measurements have been performed to reach the final conclusions. Interestingly, the high-pressure synthesis of the parent CaKFe4As4 compound enhances the transition temperature (Tc) by 2 K and the critical current density (Jc) by one order of magnitude in the whole magnetic field range of 9 T than that of the 1144 bulks prepared by CSP. It suggests the improvement of the pinning centers and grain connections by the high-pressure synthesis approach. Interestingly, our results depict the superconducting onset transition temperature (Tconset) of this stoichiometric 1144 family is robust with the presence of the common 122 (CaFe2As2 or KFe2As2) impurity phases, which is a different behavior compared to other FBS families. However, these impurity phases reduce the grain connections and lead to the phase separation during the formation of the superconducting (1144) phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Enhancement of Superconducting Properties of Polycrystalline CaKFe4As4 by High-Pressure Growth

High-pressure growth is a unique method to improve the sample quality and size. Here, we have used the high gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) method to grow CaKFe4As4 (1144) bulks and investigated their superconducting properties using structural, microstructural, transport, and magnetic studies. The microstructural analysis demonstrates that 1144 samples prepared by HP-HTS have improved the sample density and grain connectivity. The transition temperature (Tconset) of 1144 bulks prepared by HP-HTS is increased up to 35.2 K with a transition width ({\Delta}T) of 1 K, which is remarkably comparable to the reported 1144 single crystal. Additionally, the critical current density (Jc) is enhanced by almost one order of magnitude compared with the parent compound prepared by the conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure (CSP), which could be attributed to the improved sample density and effective pinning centers. Our study demonstrates that the sample quality and superconducting properties of various iron-based superconductors can be enhanced by applying the HP-HTS approach, and further research is demanded in this direction.

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arXiv2023

Antimony Doping Effect on the Superconducting Properties of SmFeAs(O,F)

We report the synthesis and characterization of a series of antimony-doped SmFeAs1-xSbxO0.8F0.2 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) bulks to investigate the twin doping effects on the superconducting properties of SmFeAs(O,F) caused by fluorine (F) incorporation at O-site in SmO layer and antimony (Sb) substitution at As-site in the conducting layer (FeAs). Since the antimony (Sb) has a larger size than arsenic (As), the enhancement of lattice parameters has been confirmed by the XRD analysis. Microstructural analysis confirms that Sb-doping leads to a small improvement in the sample density and an increase in the inhomogeneity of the constituent elements, especially at higher Sb-doping levels. The parent compound SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 has shown the superconducting transition (Tc) at ~54 K, which is systematically reduced with the antimony doping contents (x). Our investigation indicates that the Sb-doped SmFeAs(O,F) phase at low levels is less prone to the multiphase formation than at high levels, which affects the inter- and intragranular behaviour originating from the microstructure nature of 1111 bulks. The critical current density (Jc) of the parent compound has almost the same value as previously reported, which is suppressed slowly with increased Sb-doping. It could be due to the reduced grain connections and the effective pinning centers. This study confirms that the superconducting FeAs layer doping with larger ions at arsenic sites does not support the superconducting properties of Sm1111, which is a distinct behavior from that of Sb-doped CeFeAs(O,F) and LaFeAs(O,F).

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Optimization of Synthesis Parameters and Superconducting Properties of GdFeAsO1-xFx

REFeAsO (RE1111; RE: rare earth) belongs to the 1111 family of iron-based superconductors (FBS), which illustrates the enhancement of the superconducting transition (Tc) with smaller radii of RE. However, the synthesis of the 1111 phase with a heavy rare-earth is always challenging. In this paper, we report the optimization of the growth and superconducting properties of F-doped GdFeAsO1-xFx bulks by preparing the samples in a wide temperature range (700-1100{\deg}C) at ambient pressure. The optimized synthesis parameters are concluded based on structural, microstructural, transport, and magnetic measurements. These findings suggest that the optimal conditions for preparing F-doped Gd1111 bulks involve a two-step process at 900{\deg}C for 61 hours at ambient pressure, which is lower than previously reported. The optimized samples have revealed the superconducting transition temperature (Tconset) of 43 K for GdFeAsO0.83F0.17. The first-time reported critical current Jc value for this Gd1111 is observed of the order of 10^3 (A/cm^2) at 0 T and 5 K. Our investigation also concluded that highly pure precursors, particularly gadolinium metal, are required to achieve the superconducting properties of F-doped Gd1111. A high growth pressure of 1 GPa reduces the superconducting properties of F-doped Gd1111.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Comparison of Gd addition effect on the superconducting properties of FeSe0.5Te0.5 bulks under ambient and high-pressure conditions

We have prepared a series of (FeSe0.5Te0.5 + xGd) bulk samples, with x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.1 and 0.2, through the convenient solid-state reaction method at ambient pressure (CSP). High gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis methods (HP-HTS) are also applied to grow the parent compound (x = 0) and 5-wt% of Gd-added bulks. Structural, microstructural, transport and magnetic characterizations have been performed on these samples in order to draw the final conclusion. Our analysis results that the HP-HTS applied for the parent compound enhances the transition temperature (Tc) and the critical current density (Jc) with the improved sample density and intergrain connections. The lattice parameter c is increased with Gd additions, suggesting a small amount of Gd enters the tetragonal lattice of FeSe0.5Te0.5 and the Gd interstitial sites are along the c-axis. A systematic decrease of the onset transition temperature Tc is observed with Gd additions, however, the calculated Jc of these Gd-added samples is almost the same as that of the parent compound prepared by CSP. It specifies that there is no improvement of the grain connections or pinning properties due to these rare earth additions. However, Gd-added FeSe0.5Te0.5 bulks prepared by HP-HTS have revealed a slightly improved critical current density due to improved grain connections and sample density but have a lower transition temperature than that of the parent compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

High gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) technique and its impact on iron-based superconductors

The high-pressure growth technique generally plays an important role in the improvement of the sample quality and the enhancement of various physical and magnetic properties of materials. The high gas pressure technique provides a large sample space (10-15 cm) to grow various kinds of materials. In this paper, we introduce the high gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) technique that is present at our institute and is applied to the growth process of different kinds of superconducting materials, particularly iron-based superconductors. More details and the working principle of this HP-HTS technique are discussed. We have also demonstrated the current results based on the iron-based superconductors by using this unique HP-HTS technique. These results demonstrate the enhancement of the superconducting properties with the improved sample quality compared to the conventional synthesis process at ambient pressure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Cometal addition effect on superconducting properties and granular behaviours of polycrystalline FeSe0.5Te0.5

The enhanced performance of superconducting FeSe0.5Te0.5 materials with added microsized Pb and Sn particles is presented. A series of Pb and Sn added FeSe0.5Te0.5 (FeSe0.5Te0.5 + xPb + ySn; x = y = 0-0.1) bulks are fabricated by solid-state reaction method and characterized through various measurements. A very small amount of Sn and Pb additions enhance the transition temperature (Tconset) of pure FeSe0.5Te0.5 by 1 K, sharpening the superconducting transition and improving the metallic nature in the normal state, whereas larger metal additions reduce Tconset by broadening the superconducting transition. Microstructural analysis and transport studies suggest that at x=y>0.02, Pb and Sn additions enhance the impurity phases, reduce the coupling between grains, and suppress the superconducting percolation, leading to a broad transition. FeSe0.5Te0.5 samples with 2wt% of cometal additions show the best performance with their critical current density, Jc, and the pinning force, Fp, which might be attributable to providing effective flux pinning centres. Our study shows that the inclusion of a relatively small amount of Pb and Sn works effectively for the enhancement of superconducting properties with an improvement of intergrain connections as well as better phase uniformity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

High-pressure synthesis and the enhancement of the superconducting properties of FeSe0.5Te0.5

A series of FeSe0.5Te0.5 bulk samples have been prepared through the high gas pressure and high-temperature synthesis (HP-HTS) method to optimize the growth conditions, for the first time and investigated for their superconducting properties using structural, microstructure, transport, and magnetic measurements to reach the final conclusions. Ex-situ and in-situ processes are used to prepare bulk samples under a range of growth pressures using Ta-tube and without Tatube. The parent compound synthesized by convenient synthesis method at ambient pressure (CSP) exhibits a superconducting transition temperature of 14.8 K. Our data demonstrate that the prepared FeSe0.5Te0.5 sealed in a Ta-tube is of better quality than the samples without a Ta-tube, and the optimum growth conditions (500 MPa, 600{\deg}C for 1 h) are favourable for the development of the tetragonal FeSe0.5Te0.5 phase. The optimum bulk FeSe0.5Te0.5 depicts a higher transition temperature of 17.3 K and a high critical current density of the order of >10^4 A/cm^2 at 0 T, which is improved over the entire magnetic field range and almost twice higher than the parent compound prepared through CSP. Our studies confirm that the high-pressure synthesis method is a highly efficient way to improve the superconducting transition, grain connectivity, sample density, and also pinning properties of a superconductor.

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