The discovery of iron-based superconductors (FBS) and their superconducting properties has generated huge research interest and provided a very rich physics high Tc family for fundamental and experimental studies. The 1111 (REFeAsO, RE = Rare earth) and 1144 (AEAFe4As4, AE = Ca, Eu; A = K, Rb) families are the two most important families of FBS, which offer the high Tc of 58 K and 36 K with doping and without doping, respectively. Furthermore, the crystal growth of these families is not an easy process, and a lot of efforts have been reported in this direction. However, the preparation of high-quality and suitable-sized samples is still challenging. In this short review, we will summarize the growth of materials with their superconducting properties, especially polycrystals and single crystals, for the 1111 and 1144 families, and make a short comparison between them to understand the developmental issues.
Review on origin of the unusual high-Tc superconductivity in Ca1−xRExFe2As2 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd)
