Combinatorial search of superconductivity in Fe-B composition spreads

We have fabricated Fe-B thin film composition spreads in search of possible superconducting phases following a theoretical prediction by Kolmogorov et al.^1 Co-sputtering was used to deposit spreads covering a large compositional region of the Fe-B binary phase diagram. A trace of superconducting phase was found in the nanocrystalline part of the spread, where the film undergoes a metal to insulator transition as a function of composition in a region with the average composition of FeB_2. The resistance drop occurs at 4K, and a diamagnetic signal has also been detected at the same temperature. The superconductivity is suppressible in the magnetic field up to 2 Tesla.