ironpnictides

Iron pnictides are a class of inorganic compounds with the general formula LnQ, where Ln represents a pnictogen element (nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth) and Q represents an element from group 12 or 14 of the periodic table. More commonly, the term refers to a specific subclass of iron-based superconductors that have garnered significant scientific interest. These materials, first discovered in 2006, exhibit superconductivity, a state where electrical resistance vanishes, at relatively high temperatures compared to conventional superconductors.

The structure of these iron pnictide superconductors typically involves layers of iron atoms sandwiched between layers of pnictogen atoms. The superconducting properties are believed to arise from the electronic interactions within these iron-pnictogen layers. Unlike traditional superconductors which often involve electron-phonon interactions, the mechanism behind iron pnictide superconductivity is thought to be primarily electronic in nature, possibly related to magnetic fluctuations.

Research into iron pnictides is driven by the potential for technological applications if their superconducting properties can be further enhanced and exploited. Understanding the fundamental physics governing their superconductivity is a major focus of condensed matter physics research. While the initial discovery was a breakthrough, the field continues to explore variations in composition and structure to optimize their superconducting characteristics and uncover new phenomena.