Professor Stephen Blundell

Abstract:

We report results of muon-spin-rotation measurements performed on the ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO, which is one of the best approximations to a localized ferromagnet. We argue that implanted muons are sensitive to the internal field primarily through a combination of hyperfine and Lorentz fields. The temperature dependences of the internal field and the relaxation rate have been measured and are compared with previous theoretical predictions. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

Abstract:

Using a combination of neutron, muon, and synchrotron techniques we show how the magnetic state in NaFeAs can be tuned into superconductivity by replacing Fe by either Co or Ni. The electron count is the dominant factor, since Ni doping has double the effect of Co doping for the same doping level. We follow the structural, magnetic, and superconducting properties as a function of doping to show how the superconducting state evolves, concluding that the addition of 0.1 electrons per Fe atom is sufficient to traverse the superconducting domain, and that magnetic order coexists with superconductivity at doping levels less than 0.025 electrons per Fe atom. © 2010 The American Physical Society.