Determination of superconducting gap of SmFeAsFxO1−x superconductors by Andreev reflection spectroscopy

The superconducting gap in FeAs-based superconductor SmFeAs(O1−xFx) (x = 0.15 and 0.30) and the temperature dependence of the sample with x = 0.15 have been measured by Andreev reflection spectroscopy. The intrinsic superconducting gap is independent of contacts while many other “gap-like” features vary appreciably for different contacts. The determined gap value of 2Δ = 13.34 ± 0.47 meV for SmFeAs(O0.85F0.15) gives 2Δ/kBTC = 3.68, close to the BCS prediction of 3.53. The superconducting gap decreases with temperature and vanishes at TC, in a manner similar to the BCS behavior but dramatically different from that of the nodal pseudogap behavior in cuprate superconductors.