Quenching Dependence on Superconductivity in the Synthesizing Process of Single Crystals of Rb$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$

Abstract

Superconducting single crystals of Rb-intercalated FeSe compounds Rb$_x$Fe$_{2-y}$Se$_2$ were prepared by using a starting material of Rb$_2$Se as a Rb source. The superconducting properties and the surface microstructures were systematically controlled by varying the cooling rate in the quenching process. The higher cooling rate in the sample provided a higher superconducting transition temperature with highly connected superconducting mesh-like surface structure. Extremely slow-cooling process led to the complete isolation between the superconducting domains.