Title: Horizontal flux growth as an efficient preparation method of CeRh2As2 single crystals

Authors: G. Chajewski, D. Szymański, M. Daszkiewicz, D. Kaczorowski

Journal: Materials Horizons

DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01351K

The discovery of multiphase unconventional superconductivity in CeRh₂As₂ has sparked excitement within the condensed matter research community. However, despite intense and detailed studies, fundamental questions regarding the material's physics still remain unanswered. The two most crucial issues involve identifying the physical mechanism responsible for the phase transition within the superconducting state and determining the origin of the additional anomaly observed in the specific heat of this compound slightly above the superconducting state. Resolving these puzzles poses a significant challenge due to the insufficient quality of the available samples. In most of the single crystals synthesized so far, the anomalies associated with phase transitions are notably blurred, which complicates the analysis of experimental data.

In the article published recently in Materials Horizons, there has been proposed an alternative approach to the synthesis of CeRh₂As₂ which involves the use of a flux growth method in a horizontal configuration. This rarely used but relatively simple technique gave remarkable results. It enabled the growth of single crystals exhibiting highly uniform physical properties and much more pronounced phase transitions, compared to the previously published data. Moreover, the syntheses were found to be easily scalable and highly repeatable. This is an important step toward a proper understanding of the fascinating thermodynamic and transport properties of CeRh₂As₂ crystals at low temperatures and in strong magnetic fields.