Nonmetallic low-temperature normal state of K0.7Fe1.46Se1.85Te0.15

Abstract

The normal-state in-plane resistivity below the zero-field superconducting transition temperature Tc and the upper critical field μ0Hc2 (T) was measured by suppressing superconductivity in pulsed magnetic fields for K0.70Fe1.46Se1.85Te0.15. The normal-state resistivity ρab is found to increase logarithmically with decreasing temperature as (T/Tc) → 0. Similar to granular metals, our results suggest that a superconductor-insulator transition below zero-field Tc may be induced in high magnetic fields. This is related to the intrinsic real-space phase-separated states common to all inhomogeneous superconductors.