Effects of Lanthanum Doping on Structural Evolution, Morphological Features, and Flux Pinning in FeSe0.5Te0.5 Single Crystals with Machine Learning Assistance

Single crystals of LaxFe1−
xSe0.5Te0.5 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08) were grown
using the self-flux method. A systematic investigation of the effects of La addition
revealed changes in the lattice parameters, with the lattice parameter a decreasing
and the lattice parameter c showing a slight increasing tendency. The superconducting
transition temperature showed no significant dependence on La doping. However,
when x reached 0.04, the critical current density derived from magnetization
loops using the Bean model increased. The dominant pinning mechanism induced
by La in FeSe0.5Te0.5
was identified as normal point pinning at low magnetic fields.
At the same time, machine learning was employed to quantitatively model the composition–
property relationship between La doping and superconducting and magnetic
properties; the results indicate that this method is effective in capturing experimental
trends. This work demonstrates that rare earth doping could be a viable
strategy for optimizing flux pinning in iron-based superconductors.