Superconductivity of F-substituted LnOBiS2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Yb) compounds

Polycrystalline samples of F-substituted LnOBiS2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Yb) compounds were synthesized by solid-state reaction. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction measurements and found to have the ZrCuSiAs crystal structure. Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed on all of the samples and specific heat measurements were made on those with Ln = La, Ce, and Yb. All of these compounds exhibit superconductivity in the range 1.9 K - 5.4 K, which has not previously been reported for the compounds based on Ce, Pr, and Yb. The YbO0.5F0.5BiS2 compounds was also found to exhibit magnetic order at ~2.7 K that apparently coexists with superconductivity below 5.4 K.