Superconducting properties of iron chalcogenide thin films

Abstract

Iron chalcogenides, binary FeSe, FeTe and ternary FeTe_xSe_1?x, FeTe_xS_1?x and FeTe:O_x, are the simplest compounds amongst the recently discovered iron-based superconductors. Thin films of iron chalcogenides present many attractive features that are covered in this review, such as: (i) easy fabrication and epitaxial growth on common single-crystal substrates; (ii) strong enhancement of superconducting transition temperature with respect to the bulk parent compounds (in FeTe_0.5Se_0.5, zero-resistance transition temperature T_c0^bulk = 13.5 K, but T_c0^film = 19 K on LaAlO₃ substrate); (iii) high critical current density (J_c ～ 0.5 ×10⁶ A cm² at 4.2 K and 0 T for FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 film deposited on CaF₂, and similar values on flexible metallic substrates (Hastelloy tapes buffered by ion-beam assisted deposition) with a weak dependence on magnetic field; (iv) high upper critical field (～50 T for FeTe_0.5Se_0.5, B_c2(0), with a low anisotropy, γ ～ 2). These highlights explain why thin films of iron chalcogenides have been widely studied in recent years and are considered as promising materials for applications requiring high magnetic fields (20–50 T) and low temperatures (2–10 K).     

Structural,Electrical and Magnetic Behaviour of FeTe0.5Se0.5 Superconductor

We report the synthesis as well as structural and physical properties of the bulk polycrystalline FeTe and FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 compounds. These samples are synthesised by the solid state-reaction method via vacuum encapsulation. Both studied compounds are crystallized in a tetragonal phase with space group P4/nmm. The parent FeTe compound shows an anomaly in resistivity measurement at around 78 K, which is due to the structural change along with a magnetic phase transition. The superconductivity in the FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 sample at 13 K is confirmed by the resistivity measurements. DC magnetisation along with an isothermal (M–H) loop shows that FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 possesses bulk superconductivity. The upper critical field is estimated through resistivity ρ (T,H) measurements using Gingzburg–Landau (GL) theory and is above 50 T with 50 % resistivity drop criterion. The origin of the resistive transition broadening under magnetic field is investigated by thermally activated flux flow. The magnetic field dependence of the activation energy of the flux motion is discussed.     

Magnetic excitations in iron chalcogenide superconductors

Nuclear magnetic resonance and neutron scattering experiments in iron chalcogenide superconductors are reviewed to make a survey of the magnetic excitations in FeSe, FeSe_1−xTe_x and alkali-metal-doped A_xFe_2−ySe₂ (A = K, Rb, Cs, etc). In FeSe, the intimate relationship between the spin fluctuations and superconductivity can be seen universally for the variations in the off-stoichiometry, the Co-substitution and applied pressure. The isovalent compound FeTe has a magnetic ordering with different wave vector from that of other Fe-based magnetic materials. The transition temperature T_c of FeSe increases with Te substitution in FeSe_1−xTe_x with small x, and decreases in the vicinity of the end member FeTe. The spin fluctuations are drastically modified by the Te substitution. In the vicinity of the end member FeTe, the low-energy part of the spin fluctuation is dominated by the wave vector of the ordered phase of FeTe; however, the reduction of T_c shows that it does not support superconductivity. The presence of same wave vector as that of other Fe-based superconductors in FeSe_1−xTe_x and the observation of the resonance mode demonstrate that FeSe_1−xTe_x belongs to the same group as most of other Fe-based superconductors in the entire range of x, where superconductivity is mediated by the spin fluctuations whose wave vector is the same as the nesting vector between the hole pockets and the electron pockets. On the other hand, the spin fluctuations differ for alkali-metal-doped A_xFe_2−ySe₂ and FeSe or other Fe-based superconductors in their wave vector and strength in the low-energy part, most likely because of the different Fermi surfaces. The resonance mode with different wave vector suggests that A_xFe_2−ySe₂ has an exceptional superconducting symmetry among Fe-based superconductors.     

Inhomogeneous Electronic Structure of FeTe1−x Se x Revealed by X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure

Ab initio Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) calculations on FeTe_1?x Se _x , based on its crystallographic structure, are compared with experimental data. The calculated XANES spectra are inconsistent with the observed increase of spectral weight in the preedge region of the experimental spectra on the ternary system in which Te is substituted by Se. However, the weighted average of the XANES of FeTe and FeSe binaries reproduce well the observed trend in the experimental spectra of the ternary systems. This suggests that the FeTe_1?x Se _x is characterized by an inhomogeneous local electronic structure, resulting from a random-alloy like local atomic structure. The calculated unoccupied Fe d-density of states at the Fermi level increases monotonically with Te content unlike the observed change in T _c with Te content. T _c increases with increasing Te content up to x=0.5; however, the superconductivity is suppressed in the FeTe due to magnetic order, which is not considered in these calculations.     

High-pressure studies on Tc and crystal structure of iron chalcogenide superconductors

The superconducting transition temperature, T_c, in iron-based solids can be enhanced by applied pressure: T_c increases from 8 to 37 K for the 11-type FeSe when the pressure is raised from 0 to 4 GPa. High-pressure studies can elucidate the mechanism of superconductivity in such novel materials. In this paper, we present a high-pressure study of Fe(Se_1−xTe_x) and Fe(Se_1−xS_x). In the case of Fe(Se_1−xTe_x), the maximum T_c under high pressure did not exceed the T_c of FeSe, which can be attributed to the structural transition to the monoclinic phase. For Fe(Se_1−xS_x) (0 < x < 0.3), T_c exhibited a significant increase with pressure; however, the maximum T_c under high pressure did not exceed the T_c of FeSe. This may be due to the disorder induced by substituting S for Se, which is similar to the pressure effect on T_c for the 1111-type superconductor Ca(Fe_1−xCo_x)AsF. The T_c of Fe(Se_1−xS_x) showed a complex behavior below 1 GPa, first decreasing and then increasing with increasing pressure. From high-pressure x-ray diffraction measurements, the T_c (P) curve was correlated with the local structural parameter.     

Scaling of the Temperature Dependent Resistivity in 11 Iron-Pnictide Superconductors

In various $\mathrm{FeTe}_{1-x}\mathrm{Se}_{\mathrm{x}}$ (x=0?C1), members of the 11-iron-pnictide superconductor family, the temperature dependent resistivity ?? can be scaled into a universal curve. It?is found that the ??(T) dependences can be reproduced by the expressions $\rho(T) = \rho_{0} - (c/T)\exp( - \frac{2\varDelta }{T})$ and $\rho(T) =\rho_{0} + (c/T)\exp( - \frac{2\varDelta }{T})$ for x=0?C0.3 and 0.4?C1.0, respectively. The scaling was performed using the energy scale 2??, the parameter c, and the residual resistivity ?? ₀ as scaling parameters. The compositional variation of the scaling parameters 2?? and ?? ₀ has been determined. The existence of a universal metallic ??(T) curve is interpreted as an indication of a single mechanism which dominates the scattering of the charge carriers in FeTe_1?x Se _x (x=0?C1). Thus, the scaling of the normal-state properties seems to be a general feature not only for high-T _c cuprates but also for the iron-pnictides superconductor family.     

Heat Capacity and Mössbauer Study of Self-Flux Grown FeTe Single Crystal

We report mainly the heat capacity and Mössbauer study of self-flux grown FeTe single crystal, which is a ground state compound of the Fe chalcogenides superconducting series i.e. FeTe_1?x(Se/S) _x The as grown FeTe single crystal is large enough to the tune of a few centimetres and the same crystallizes in tetragonal structure having space group of P4/nmm. FeTe shows the structural/magnetic phase transition at 70 K in both magnetic and resistivity measurements. Heat capacity measurement also confirms the coupled structural/magnetic transition at the same temperature. The Debye model fitting of low temperature (below 70 K) heat capacity exhibited Debye temperature (?? _D ) to be 324 K. Mössbauer spectra are performed at 300 and 5 K. The 300-K spectra showed two paramagnetic doublets and the 5-K spectra exhibited hyperfine magnetic sextet with an average hyperfine field of 10.6 Tesla matching with the results of Yoshikazu Mizuguchi et al.     

High-temperature resistivity and thermoelectric properties of coupled substituted Ca3Co2O6

Polycrystalline samples of Ca_3−xNa_xCo_2−xMn_xO₆ (x=0.0–0.5) have been prepared by the sol-gel cum combustion method using sucrose in order to investigate the effects of the coupled substitution of Na and Mn on Ca and Co sites on the transport properties of Ca₃Co₂O₆(Co326). The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TGA), differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. XRD patterns reveal the formation of single-phase products up to x=0.5. Coupled substitution increases the solubility of both Na and Mn on Ca and Co sites, respectively, in contrast to the limited solubility of Na and Mn (x=0.2) when separately substituted. TGA confirms the formation of the Ca₃Co₂O₆ phase at temperatures ∼720 °C. The grain size of the parent and substituted products is in the range 150–250 nm. Electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient were measured in the temperature range 300–800 K. Resistivity shows semiconducting behavior for all the compositions, particularly in the low-temperature regime. The Seebeck coefficient increases with temperature throughout the measured temperature range for all compositions. The maximum Seebeck coefficient (200 μV K⁻¹) is observed for x=0.5 at 825 K, and this composition may be optimal for high-temperature thermoelectric applications.     

BiFeO3-doped (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (1−x)(Na_0.5K_0.5)NbO₃-xBiFeO₃ (x=0∼0.07) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements revealed that an increase in the amount of BiFeO₃ dopant resulted in a decrease in the orthorhombic-tetragonal and tetragonal-cubic phase transition temperature of the material. One percent BiFeO₃ additive suppressed grain growth, which not only benefits the sintering of ceramics but also enhances the piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties, where d₃₃=145pC/N, k_p=0.31, Q_m=80, P_r=11.3 μC cm⁻² and E_c=16.5 kV cm⁻¹. As x_BF>0.01, both piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties decreased rapidly with an increasing amount of dopant.     

Ultrathin FeTe nanosheets with tetragonal and hexagonal phases synthesized by chemical vapor deposition

2D functional materials, such as 2D magnet and superconductor, spark massive interests from synthesis, manipulation to application. Especially, FeTe_x with multi-phases provides an ideal platform to explore the possible superconducting, ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic properties and even their functional heterostructures. Herein, we report a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach to synthesize ultrathin tetragonal FeTe (down to monolayer), hexagonal FeTe (down to 2.3 nm), and Fe-rich hexagonal FeTe with superlattice by tuning the growth temperature according to the phase diagram. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is further performed to confirm the difference among these various FeTe phases. Magneto-transport illustrates that the tetragonal device displays a high linear magnetoresistance (LMR) up to 10.5% at 1.9 K, and the LMR of hexagonal FeTe reaches 5.8% at 1.9 K. Interestingly, O doped tetragonal thick FeTe displays a superconducting transition at 9 K, which can persist even at 16 T. In summary, this study illustrates a phase-selective synthesis of FeTe_x ultrathin crystals, providing promising opportunities to construct complicated devices such as ferromagnet/antiferromagnet, magnet/superconductor heterostructures.     

O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Annealing Induced Superconductivity in FeTe<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Se<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>: on the Origin of Superconductivity in FeTe Films

FeTe_1?x Se _x with x = 0 ～ 0.13 polycrystalline samples was fabricated by solid-state reaction and annealed in oxygen. The magnetic and transport measurements illustrated that neither the as-grown nor the O₂-annealed samples with x = 0.05 showed superconductivity. The as-grown samples with x = 0.07 ～ 0.09 also showed no superconductivity but became filamentary superconducting after the O₂ annealing. Significant enhancement of bulk superconductivity was achieved for the O₂-annealed FeTe_1?xSe _x with x = 0.11. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements illustrated that the change of the chemical valence of the elements before and after the O₂ annealing was not the main factor responsible for the occurrence of superconductivity. The superconducting transition was mainly caused by the suppression of antiferromagnetic ordering, due to the lattice shrinkage induced by the O₂ annealing. These results may clarify the existing debate on the origin of the superconductivity in FeTe thin film.     

Superconductivity at 25 K under Hydrostatic Pressure for FeTe 0 . 5 Se 0 . 5 Superconductor

We report the impact of hydrostatic pressure on the superconductivity and normal-state resistivity of FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 superconductor. At the ambient pressure, the FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 compound shows the superconducting transition temperature \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\text {onset}} \) at above 13 K and \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\rho =0} \) at 11.5 K. We measure pressure-dependent resistivity from 250 to 5 K, which shows that the normal-state resistivity increases initially for the applied pressures of up to 0.55 GPa, and then the same is decreased monotonically with increasing pressure of up to 1.97 GPa. On the other hand, the superconducting transition temperatures ( \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\text {onset}} \) and \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\rho =0} )\) increase monotonically with increasing pressure. Namely the \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\text {onset}} \) increases from 13 to 25 K and \(T_{\mathrm {c}}^{\rho =0} \) from 11.5 to 20 K for the pressure range of 0–1.97 GPa. Our results suggest that superconductivity in this class of Fe-based compounds is very sensitive to pressure as the estimated pressure coefficient d T _c(onset)/dP is ～5.8 K/GPa. It may be suggested that the FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 superconductor is a strong electron-correlated system. The enhancement of T _c with applying pressure is mainly attributed to an increase of charge carriers at the Fermi surface.     

Exchange coupling controlled ferrite with dual magnetic resonance and broad frequency bandwidth in microwave absorption

Ti-doped barium ferrite powders BaFe_12−xTi_xO₁₉ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8) were synthesized by the sol–gel method. The phase structure and morphology were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The powders were also studied for their magnetic properties and microwave absorption. Results show that the Ti-doped barium ferrites (BFTO) exist in single phase and exhibit hexagonal plate-like structure. The anisotropy field H_a of the BFTO decreases almost linearly with the increase in Ti concentration, which leads to a shift of the natural resonance peak toward low frequency. Two natural resonance peaks appear, which can be assigned to the double values of the Landé factor g that are found to be ∼2.0 and ∼2.3 in the system and can be essentially attributed to the existence of Fe³⁺ ions and the exchange coupling effect between Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ ions, respectively. Such a dual resonance effect contributes a broad magnetic loss peak and thus a high attenuation constant, and leads to a dual reflection loss (RL) peak over the frequency range between 26.5 and 40 GHz. The high attenuation constants are between 350 and 500 at peak position. The optimal RL reaches around −45 dB and the practicable frequency bandwidth is beyond 11 GHz. This suggests that the BFTO powders could be used as microwave absorbing materials with extraordinary properties.     

Electronic conduction in La-based perovskite-type oxides

A systematic study of La-based perovskite-type oxides from the viewpoint of their electronic conduction properties was performed. LaCo_0.5Ni_0.5O_3±δ was found to be a promising candidate as a replacement for standard metals used in oxide electrodes and wiring that are operated at temperatures up to 1173 K in air because of its high electrical conductivity and stability at high temperatures. LaCo_0.5Ni_0.5O_3±δ exhibits a high conductivity of 1.9 × 10³ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature (R.T.) because of a high carrier concentration n of 2.2 × 10²² cm⁻³ and a small effective mass m∗ of 0.10 m_e. Notably, LaCo_0.5Ni_0.5O_3±δ exhibits this high electrical conductivity from R.T. to 1173 K, and little change in the oxygen content occurs under these conditions. LaCo_0.5Ni_0.5O_3±δ is the most suitable for the fabrication of oxide electrodes and wiring, though La_1−xSr_xCoO_3±δ and La_1−xSr_xMnO_3±δ also exhibit high electronic conductivity at R.T., with maximum electrical conductivities of 4.4 × 10³ S cm⁻¹ for La_0.5Sr_0.5CoO_3±δ and 1.5 × 10³ S cm⁻¹ for La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO_3±δ because oxygen release occurs in La_1−xSr_xCoO_3±δ as elevating temperature and the electrical conductivity of La_0.6Sr_0.4MnO_3±δ slightly decreases at temperatures above 400 K.     

Dependence of Superconductivity and Its Weakly Linked Behavior in Bulk LaO1?x F x FeAs on F Doping

Samples of oxypnictide compound LaO_1?x F _x FeAs, with x=0.15 and 0.2 corresponding to over- and highly over-doped compositions, respectively, were prepared by solid-state reaction. We present their characterization by XRD and HRTEM, as well as resistivity ??(T), magnetization M(B) and microwave modulated absorption (MMA) response between 4.2?C300?K and applied fields B=0?C8?T. With change in?x, both the superconducting and magnetic behavior of the samples shows an interesting pattern. The ??magnetic anomaly?? at T??130?K, observed in M(T) for x=0, instead of getting totally suppressed shows a tendency to reappear in x=0.2 sample. Both samples typically show ??(300?K)>2.8×10^?3????cm and critical current density J _c(5?K, 1?T)<2×10⁷?A/m². The superconducting transitions as measured by ??(T) at B=0 are found broad for both x=0.15 and 0.2 samples with transition widths ??2.5 and 6?K, respectively. The slope |dB _c2/dT| (where B _c2 is upper critical field) determined by resistive onsets, for the x=0.15 and 0.2 samples, has values ??7.5 and 3.5?T/K, respectively. The superconducting state characteristics as reflected by ??(T,B), M(T), magnetic J _c(B) and MMA response are typical of the presence of weakly linked inter-grain regions in both the samples. Our HRTEM images of the x=0.15 sample show the presence of high angle (??43^°) grain boundaries, which are well known to limit the J _c in cuprate-based high T _c bulk materials.     

Superconductivity induced by hydrogen anion substitution in 1111-type iron arsenides

Hydrogen is the simplest bipolar element and its valence state can be controlled from +1 to −1. We synthesized the 1111-type iron arsenides CaFeAsH and LnFeAsO_1−xH_x (Ln = lanthanide; 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.5) with the ZrCuSiAs type structure by a high-pressure synthesis method. The position and valence state of the substituted H were determined by neutron diffraction and density functional theory calculations. The close similarity in the structural and electrical properties of CaFeAsH and CaFeAsF indicated the formation of the hydride ion (H⁻), which is isovalent with the fluoride ion (F⁻), in the 1111-type iron arsenides. When some of the O²⁻ ions in LnFeAsO are replaced by H⁻, superconductivity is induced by electron doping to the FeAs-layer to maintain charge neutrality. Since the substitution limit of hydrogen in LnFeAsO (x ≈ 0.5) is much higher than that of fluorine (x ≈ 0.2), the hydrogen substitution technique provides an effective pathway for high-density electron-doping, making it possible to draw the complete electronic phase diagram of LnFeAsO. The x–T diagrams of LnFeAsO_1−xH_x (Ln = La, Ce, Sm, Gd) have a wide superconducting (SC) region spanning the range x = 0.04–0.4, which is far from the parent antiferromagnetic region near x = 0.0. For LaFeAsO_1−xH_x, another SC dome region was found in the range x = ∼0.2 to ∼0.5 with a maximum T_c = 36 K, in addition to a conventional SC dome located at x ∼ 0.08 with maximum T_c = 29 K. Density functional theory calculations performed for LaFeAsO_1−xH_x indicated that the newly observed T_c is correlated with the appearance of degeneration of the Fe 3d bands (d_xy, d_yz and d_zx), which is caused not only by regularization of the tetrahedral shape of FeAs₄ due to chemical pressure effects but also by selective band occupation with doped electrons. In this article, we review the recent progress of superconductivity in 1111-type iron (oxy)arsenides and related compounds induced by hydrogen anion substitution.     

A Quantum Algorithm Detecting Concentrated Maps

We consider an arbitrary mapping f: {0, …, N − 1} → {0, …, N − 1} for N = 2ⁿ, n some number of quantum bits. Using N calls to a classical oracle evaluating f(x) and an N-bit memory, it is possible to determine whether f(x) is one-to-one. For some radian angle 0 ≤ θ ≤ π/2, we say f(x) is θ − concentrated if and only if e^2πif(x)/N ? e^{i[ψ₀?θ,ψ₀+θ]} for some given ψ₀ and any 0 ≤ x ≤ N − 1. We present a quantum algorithm that distinguishes a θ-concentrated f(x) from a one-to-one f(x) in O(1) calls to a quantum oracle function U_f with high probability. For 0 < θ < 0.3301 rad, the quantum algorithm outperforms random (classical) evaluation of the function testing for dispersed values (on average). Maximal outperformance occurs at θ=12sin−11π≈0.1620 rad.     

XPS study of CZTSSe monograin powders

The surface and bulk composition of Cu₂ZnSn(Se_xS_1-x)₄ (CZTSSe) monograin powders were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The concentration depth profiling of CZTSSe monograin powders was obtained by Ar⁺ ion etching.According to the XPS spectra of CZTSSe monograin powder, the binding energies of Zn 2p_3/2, Cu 2p_3/2, Sn 3d_5/2, S 2p_3/2 and Se 3d_5/2 core levels after surface cleaning are located at 1021.6 eV, 932.4 eV, 486.1 eV, 161.5 eV, 53.9 eV, respectively. From XPS depth profile analysis, Cu deficiency and the excess of chalcogenides on the powder crystals surface were observed.     

Thermo-chemical properties and electrical resistivity of Zr-based arsenide chalcogenides

Ternary phases in the systems Zr-As-Se and Zr-As-Te were studied using single crystals of ZrAs_1.40(1)Se_0.50(1) and ZrAs_1.60(2)Te_0.40(1) (PbFCl-type of structure, space group P4/nmm) as well as ZrAs_0.70(1)Se_1.30(1) and ZrAs_0.75(1)Te_1.25(1) (NbPS-type of structure, space group Immm). The characterization covers chemical compositions, crystal structures, homogeneity ranges and electrical resistivities. At 1223 K, the Te-containing phases can be described with the general formula ZrAs_xTe_2−x, with 1.53(1)?x?1.65(1) (As-rich) and 0.58(1)?x?0.75(1) (Te-rich). Both phases are located directly on the tie-line between ZrAs₂ and ZrTe₂, with no indication for any deviation. Similar is true for the Se-rich phase ZrAs_xSe_2−x with 0.70(1)?x?0.75(1). However, the compositional range of the respective As-rich phase ZrAs_x−ySe_2−x (0.03(1)?y?0.10(1); 1.42(1)?x?1.70(1)) is not located on the tie-line ZrAs₂-ZrSe₂, and exhibits a triangular region of existence with intrinsic deviation of the composition towards lower non-metal contents. Except for ZrAs_0.75Se_1.25, from the homogeneity range of the Se-rich phase, all compounds under investigation show metallic characteristics of electrical resistivity at temperatures >20 K. Related uranium and thorium arsenide selenides display a typical magnetic field-independent rise of the resistivity towards lower temperatures, which has been explained by a non-magnetic Kondo effect. However, a similar observation has been made for ZrAs_1.40Se_0.50, which, among the Zr-based arsenide chalcogenides, is the only system with a large concentration of intrinsic defects in the anionic substructure.     

Seebeck Coefficient Measurement and Its Narrow Band Model Interpretation in FeTe<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Se<Subscript>0.5</Subscript> Superconductor

We have measured Seebeck coefficient (S) of FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 superconducting sample from 10 to 300 K. The variation of Seebeck coefficient with temperature of this system was found to be very anomalous, and the overall experimental observation of the S(T) was studied in the outline of a narrow-band model. In high-temperature region, the Seebeck coefficient is almost independent of temperature. Further, from the study of high-temperature magnitude of S, sample undergoes a change in sign in the Seebeck coefficient, wherein, appearance of a negative peak around 22 K and subsequently, its Seebeck coefficient goes to zero in the superconducting transition temperature regime around 11 to 13 K. It is revealed that the bandwidth and a small asymmetry involved in narrow bands give a realistic explanation to the anomalous temperature dependence of Seebeck coefficient of FeTe_0.5Se_0.5 system.