Superconductivity in Fluorine-Arsenide Sr_{1-x}La_xFeAsF

Abstract

Since the discovery of superconductivity\cite{1} at 26 K in oxy-pnictide $LaFeAsO_{1-x}F_x$, enormous interests have been stimulated in the fields of condensed matter physics and material sciences. Among the five different structures in this broad type of superconductors\cite{2,3,4,5,6}, the ZrCuSiAs structure has received special attention since the $T_c$ has been quickly promoted to 55-56 K\cite{7,8,9,10,11} in fluorine doped oxy-pnictides REFeAsO (RE = rare earth elements). The superconductivity can also be induced by applying a high pressure to the undoped samples\cite{12,13}. The mechanism of superconductivity in the FeAs-based system remains unclear yet, but it turns out to be clear that any change to the structure or the building blocks will lead to a change of the superconducting transition temperatures. In this Letter, we report the fabrication of the new family of compounds, namely fluorine-arsenides DvFeAsF (Dv = divalent metals) with the ZrCuSiAs structure and with the new building block DvF instead of the REO (both the layers DvF and REO have the combined cation state of "+1"). The undoped parent phase has a Spin-Density-Wave like transition at about 173 K for SrFeAsF, 118 K for CaFeAsF and 153 K for EuFeAsF. By doping electrons into the system the resistivity anomaly associated with this SDW transition is suppressed and superconductivity appears at 32 K in the fluorine-arsenide Sr$_{1-x}$La$_x$FeAsF (x = 0.4). Our discovery here initiates a new method to obtain superconductors in the FeAs-based system.