Physical and magnetic properties of Ba(Fe_(1-x)Mn_x)_2As_2 single crystals (1109.2159v1)

Abstract: Single crystals of Ba(Fe_(1-x)Mn_x)2As_2, 0<x<0.148, have been grown and characterized by structural, magnetic, electrical transport and thermopower measurements. Although growths of single crystals of Ba(Fe(1-x)Mn_x)2As_2 for the full 0<=x<=1 range were made, we find evidence for phase separation (associated with some form of immiscibility) starting for x>0.1-0.2. Our measurements show that whereas the structural/magnetic phase transition found in pure BaFe_2As_2 at 134 K is initially suppressed by Mn substitution, superconductivity is not observed at any substitution level. Although the effect of hydrostatic pressure up to 20 kbar in the parent BaFe_2As_2 compound is to suppress the structural/magnetic transition at the approximate rate of 0.9 K/kbar, the effects of pressure and Mn substitution in the x=0.102 compound are not cumulative. Phase diagrams of transition temperature versus substitution concentration, x, based on electrical transport, magnetization and thermopower measurements have been constructed and compared to those of the Ba(Fe(1-x)TM_x)_2As_2 (TM=Co and Cr) series.