While the flux growth often provides the best method for obtaining single crystals of new-novel materials, the process is prone to producing crystals with trapped second-phase inclusions. In the case of NdFeAsO single crystals grown out of NaAs flux under ambient pressure, some crystals show a lambda anomaly in the specific heat curve at $~$12 K. This anomaly is missing in other crystals from the same batch. We show that the lambda anomaly at 12 K is from residual NdAs starting material which is mainly on the edges of the crystals. The isothermal magnetization of LaFeAsO at 300 K clearly illustrates the effect of ferromagnetic impurities on the magnetic properties of LaFeAsO crystals.

• Received 21 December 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.012501