Gate-tuned superconductor-insulator transition in (Li,Fe)OHFeSe

Abstract

© 2016 American Physical Society. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator-superconductor transition has always been a center of interest in the underlying physics of unconventional superconductors. However, in the family of iron-based high-Tc superconductors, no intrinsic superconductor-insulator transition has been confirmed so far. Here, we report a first-order transition from superconductor to AFM insulator with a strong charge doping induced by ionic gating in the thin flakes of single crystal (Li,Fe)OHFeSe. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is continuously enhanced with electron doping by ionic gating up to a maximum Tc of 43 K, and a striking superconductor-insulator transition occurs just at the verge of optimal doping with highest Tc. A phase diagram of temperature-gating voltage with the superconductor-insulator transition is mapped out, indicating that the superconductor-insulator transition is a common feature for unconventional superconductivity. These results help to uncover the underlying physics of iron-based superconductivity as well as the universal mechanism of high-Tc superconductivity. Our finding also suggests that the gate-controlled strong charge doping makes it possible to explore novel states of matter in a way beyond traditional methods.