Unabridged phase diagram for single-phased FeSe(x)Te(1-x) thin films.

A complete phase diagram and its corresponding physical properties are essential prerequisites to understand the underlying mechanism of iron-based superconductivity. For the structurally simplest 11 (FeSeTe) system, earlier attempts using bulk samples have not been able to do so due to the fabrication difficulties. Here, thin FeSe(x)Te(1-x) films with the Se content covering the full range (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were fabricated by using pulsed laser deposition method. Crystal structure analysis shows that all films retain the tetragonal structure in room temperature. Significantly, the highest superconducting transition temperature (T(C) = 20 K) occurs in the newly discovered domain, i.e., 0.6 ≤ x ≤ 0.8. The single-phased superconducting dome for the full Se doping range is the first of its kind in iron chalcogenide superconductors. Our results present a new avenue to explore novel physics as well as to optimize superconductors.