On the Chemistry and Physical Properties of Flux and Floating Zone Grown SmB6 Single Crystals
Abstract
Recent theoretical and experimental findings suggest the long-known but not well understood low temperature resistance plateau of SmB6 may originate from protected surface states arising from a topologically non-trivial bulk band structure having strong Kondo hybridization. Yet others have ascribed this feature to impurities, vacancies, and surface reconstructions. Given the typical methods used to prepare SmB6 single crystals, flux and floating-zone procedures, such ascriptions should not be taken lightly. We demonstrate how compositional variations and/or observable amounts of impurities in SmB6 crystals grown using both procedures affect the physical properties. From X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and X-ray computed tomography experiments we observe that natural isotope containing (SmB6) and doubly isotope enriched (154Sm11B6) crystals prepared using aluminum flux contain co-crystallized, epitaxial aluminum. Further, a large, nearly stoichiometric crystal of SmB6 was successfully grown using the float-zone technique; upon continuing the zone melting, samarium vacancies were introduced. These samarium vacancies drastically alter the resistance and plateauing magnitude of the low temperature resistance compared to stoichiometric SmB6. Finally, these results highlight that impurities and compositional variations, even at low concentrations, must be considered when collecting/analyzing physical property data of SmB6. Finally, a more accurate samarium-154 coherent neutron scattering length, 8.9(1) fm, is reported.
- Authors:
-
- Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Quantum Condensed Matter Division
- Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States). Applied Physics Lab.
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Chemical and Engineering Materials Division
- Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1259844
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1261516
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-08ER46544; NSF-DMR1306392; AC02-06CH11357; AC05 00OR22725; AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Phelan, W. A., Koohpayeh, S. M., Cottingham, P., Tutmaher, J. A., Leiner, J. C., Lumsden, M. D., Lavelle, C. M., Wang, X. P., Hoffmann, C., Siegler, M. A., Haldolaarachchige, N., Young, D. P., and McQueen, T. M. On the Chemistry and Physical Properties of Flux and Floating Zone Grown SmB6 Single Crystals. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1038/srep20860.
Phelan, W. A., Koohpayeh, S. M., Cottingham, P., Tutmaher, J. A., Leiner, J. C., Lumsden, M. D., Lavelle, C. M., Wang, X. P., Hoffmann, C., Siegler, M. A., Haldolaarachchige, N., Young, D. P., & McQueen, T. M. On the Chemistry and Physical Properties of Flux and Floating Zone Grown SmB6 Single Crystals. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20860
Phelan, W. A., Koohpayeh, S. M., Cottingham, P., Tutmaher, J. A., Leiner, J. C., Lumsden, M. D., Lavelle, C. M., Wang, X. P., Hoffmann, C., Siegler, M. A., Haldolaarachchige, N., Young, D. P., and McQueen, T. M. Fri .
"On the Chemistry and Physical Properties of Flux and Floating Zone Grown SmB6 Single Crystals". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20860. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1259844.
@article{osti_1259844,
title = {On the Chemistry and Physical Properties of Flux and Floating Zone Grown SmB6 Single Crystals},
author = {Phelan, W. A. and Koohpayeh, S. M. and Cottingham, P. and Tutmaher, J. A. and Leiner, J. C. and Lumsden, M. D. and Lavelle, C. M. and Wang, X. P. and Hoffmann, C. and Siegler, M. A. and Haldolaarachchige, N. and Young, D. P. and McQueen, T. M.},
abstractNote = {Recent theoretical and experimental findings suggest the long-known but not well understood low temperature resistance plateau of SmB6 may originate from protected surface states arising from a topologically non-trivial bulk band structure having strong Kondo hybridization. Yet others have ascribed this feature to impurities, vacancies, and surface reconstructions. Given the typical methods used to prepare SmB6 single crystals, flux and floating-zone procedures, such ascriptions should not be taken lightly. We demonstrate how compositional variations and/or observable amounts of impurities in SmB6 crystals grown using both procedures affect the physical properties. From X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and X-ray computed tomography experiments we observe that natural isotope containing (SmB6) and doubly isotope enriched (154Sm11B6) crystals prepared using aluminum flux contain co-crystallized, epitaxial aluminum. Further, a large, nearly stoichiometric crystal of SmB6 was successfully grown using the float-zone technique; upon continuing the zone melting, samarium vacancies were introduced. These samarium vacancies drastically alter the resistance and plateauing magnitude of the low temperature resistance compared to stoichiometric SmB6. Finally, these results highlight that impurities and compositional variations, even at low concentrations, must be considered when collecting/analyzing physical property data of SmB6. Finally, a more accurate samarium-154 coherent neutron scattering length, 8.9(1) fm, is reported.},
doi = {10.1038/srep20860},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = ,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Fri Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}
Web of Science
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