Magnetic characterization of undoped and 15%F-doped LaFeAsO and SmFeAsO compounds

Abstract In this paper, the magnetic behavior of undoped and 15%F-doped SmFeAsO (Sm-1111) and LaFeAsO (La-1111) samples is presented and discussed. Magnetization measurements are not a simple tool to use for the characterization of the new family of Fe-based superconductors, because magnetic impurities can be easily formed during the preparation procedure and may affect the magnetic signal. In spite of this problem bulk magnetization measurements, properly treated, may give very useful information. In the undoped samples we gathered the main aspects of the physical behavior of the 1111 phase, i.e. the onset of the spin density wave (SDW), the antiferromagnetic ordering at the Sm sublattice and the susceptibility increase with increasing temperature above the SDW temperature, and, in addition, we were able to estimate the Pauli contribution to susceptibility and therein the Wilson ratio both for LaFeAsO and SmFeAsO compounds, and the amplitude of the jump at the SDW temperature. In the doped samples, while the presence of magnetic signals due to impurities is dominating in the normal state, the superconducting behavior may be clearly observed and studied. In particular, in the Sm-1111 superconducting sample the coexistence-competition between superconductivity and antiferromagnetic ordering of the Sm ions was clearly observed.