Synthesis of high-quality FeSe0.5Te0.5 polycrystal using an easy one-step technique

We report an easy one-step technique to synthesize high-quality FeSe0.5Te0.5 polycrystal. The resulting sample crystallized in a tetragonal structure and just contained a small amount of impurity. Textured grains and a good homogeneity of element distribution were demonstrated. Furthermore, the resulting FeSe0.5Te0.5 polycrystal showed high superconducting performance. Compared with the FeSe0.5Te0.5 polycrystals prepared by other techniques, our sample exhibits the highest superconducting transition temperature about 14.1 K, the sharpest superconducting transition width about 1.6 K and the largest value of critical current density about 3 × 104 A/cm2 at 5 K in self-field. Our easy one-step technique is greatly promising for superconducting applications, especially, in the fabrication of high-quality Fe(Se,Te) wires, tapes and films.