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Synthesis and superconductivity of new BiS2 based superconductor PrO0.5F0.5BiS2

We report synthesis and superconductivity at 3.7K in PrO0.5F0.5BiS2. The newly discovered material belongs to the layered sulfide based REO0.5F0.5BiS2 compounds having ZrCuSiAs type structure. The bulk polycrystalline compound is synthesized by vacuum encapsulation technique at 7800C in single step. Detailed structural analysis has shown that the as synthesized PrO0.5F0.5BiS2 is crystallized in tetragonal P4/nmm space group with lattice parameters a = 4.015(5) Å, c = 13.362(4) Å. Bulk superconductivity is observed in PrO0.5F0.5BiS2 below 4K from magnetic and transport measurements. Electrical transport measurements showed superconducting transition temperature (Tc) onset at 3.7K and Tc (ρ=0) at 3.1K. Hump at Tc related to superconducting transition is not observed in heat capacity measurement and rather a Schottky-type anomaly is observed at below ~6K. The compound is slightly semiconducting in normal state. Isothermal magnetization (MH) exhibited typical type II behavior with lower critical field (Hc1) of around 8Oe.