Flux-free growth of large superconducting crystal of FeSe by traveling-solvent floating-zone technique

Abstract

A flux-free solution to the growth of large and composition homogeneous superconducting FeSe crystal is reported for the first time, which is based on the traveling-solvent floating-zone technique. The size of the crystal samples prepared by this approach is up to 15x6x2 mm3, being far bigger than previously reported in all dimensions, and the main phase of the crystals is of a single preferred orientation along the tetragonal (101) plane. X-ray diffraction analysis identifies the main phase to be the superconducting tetragonal \b{eta}-FeSe. The superconducting transition temperature (TC) is determined to be 9.4 K by AC magnetic susceptibility and electronic transport measurements. A nearly perfect diamagnetic shielding of -97% is observed, indicating a bulk superconductivity in the crystal sample.