Single-Crystal Growth of Ba₁₋<i>_x</i>K<i>_x</i>Fe₂As₂ by KAs Self-Flux Method

Abstract

Single crystals of Ba1−xKxFe2As2 with 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 1 have been successfully synthesized by a KAs self-flux method. The potassium (K) concentration x of the grown crystals was systematically changed by changing the mixing ratio of Ba to Fe in the starting materials. The crystals have flat surfaces corresponding to the crystallographic (001) planes, whose planar dimensions increase with decreasing thickness when x increases. The superconducting transition temperature systematically changes with x, ranging from 38 K at x = 0.4 to 3.4 K at x = 1.0, in good agreement with the results for polycrystalline samples.