Positions of Point-Nodes in Borocarbide Superconductor YNi2B2C

To determine the superconducting gap function of YNi2B2C, we calculate the local density of states (LDOS) around a single vortex core with the use of Eilenberger theory and the band structure calculated by local density approximation assuming various gap structures with point-nodes at different positions. We also calculate the angular-dependent heat capacity in the vortex state on the basis of the Doppler-Shift method. Comparing our results with the STM/STS experiment, the angular-dependent heat capacity and thermal conductivity, we propose the gap-structure of YNi2B2C, which has the point-nodes and gap minima along . Our gap-structure is consistent with all results of angular-resolved experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Role of p-f Hybridization in the Metal-Non-Metal Transition of PrRu4P12

Electronic state evolution in the metal-non-metal transition of PrRu4P12 has been studied by X-ray and polarized neutron diffraction experiments. It has been revealed that, in the low-temperature non-metallic phase, two inequivalent crystal-field (CF) schemes of Pr3+ 4f^2 electrons with Gamma_1 and Gamma_4^(2) ground states are located at Pr1 and Pr2 sites forming the bcc unit cell surrounded by the smaller and larger cubic Ru-ion sublattices, respectively. This modulated electronic state can be explained by the p-f hybridization mechanism taking two intermediate states of 4f^1 and 4f^3. The p-f hybridization effect plays an important role for the electronic energy gain in the metal-non-metal transition originated from the Fermi surface nesting.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Evidence for ferromagnetic spin-pairing superconductivity in UGe2_2: A 73^{73}Ge-NQR study under pressure

We report that a novel type of superconducting order parameter has been realized in the ferromagnetic states in UGe$_2$ via $^{73}$Ge nuclear-quadrupole-resonance (NQR) experiments performed under pressure ($P$). Measurements of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $(1/T_1)$ have revealed an unconventional nature of superconductivity such that the up-spin band is gapped with line nodes, but the down-spin band remains gapless at the Fermi level. This result is consistent with that of a ferromagnetic spin-pairing model in which Cooper pairs are formed among ferromagnetically polarized electrons. The present experiment has shed new light on a possible origin of ferromagnetic superconductivity, which is mediated by ferromagnetic spin-density fluctuations relevant to the first-order transition inside the ferromagnetic states.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Anomalous Metal-Insulator Transition in Filled Skutterudite CeOs4_4Sb12_{12}

Anomalous metal-insulator transition observed in filled skutterudite CeOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ is investigated by constructing the effective tight-binding model with the Coulomb repulsion between f electrons. By using the mean field approximation, magnetic susceptibilities are calculated and the phase diagram is obtained. When the band structure has a semimetallic character with small electron and hole pockets at $\Gamma$ and H points, a spin density wave transition with the ordering vector $\mathbf{Q}=(1,0,0)$ occurs due to the nesting property of the Fermi surfaces. Magnetic field enhances this phase in accord with the experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Heavy holes: precursor to superconductivity in antiferromagnetic CeIn3

Numerous phenomenological parallels have been drawn between f- and d- electron systems in an attempt to understand their display of unconventional superconductivity. The microscopics of how electrons evolve from participation in large moment antiferromagnetism to superconductivity in these systems, however, remains a mystery. Knowing the origin of Cooper paired electrons in momentum space is a crucial prerequisite for understanding the pairing mechanism. Of especial interest are pressure-induced superconductors CeIn3 and CeRhIn5 in which disparate magnetic and superconducting orders apparently coexist - arising from within the same f-electron degrees of freedom. Here we present ambient pressure quantum oscillation measurements on CeIn3 that crucially identify the electronic structure - potentially similar to high temperature superconductors. Heavy pockets of f-character are revealed in CeIn3, undergoing an unexpected effective mass divergence well before the antiferromagnetic critical field. We thus uncover the softening of a branch of quasiparticle excitations located away from the traditional spin-fluctuation dominated antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. The observed Fermi surface of dispersive f-electrons in CeIn3 could potentially explain the emergence of Cooper pairs from within a strong moment antiferromagnet.Comment: To appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science

Anomalous Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in Heavy-Fermion PrFe4P12

We have investigated the anisotropy of the magnetoresistance in the Pr-based HF compound PrFe4P12. The large anisotropy of effective mass and its strong field dependence have been confirmed by resistivity measurements. Particularly for H||[111], where the effective mass is most strongly enhanced, the non-Fermi liquid behavior has been observed. Also, we have found the angular dependence of the magnetoresistance sharply enhanced at H||[111], which is evidently correlated with both the non-Fermi liquid behavior and the high-field ordered state (B-phase).Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.77, No.8, in pres

Inelastic contribution of the resistivity in the hidden order in URu2Si2

In the hidden order of URu2Si2 the resistivity at very low temperature shows no T^2 behavior above the transition to superconductivity. However, when entering the antiferromagnetic phase, the Fermi liquid behavior is recovered. We discuss the change of the inelastic term when entering the AF phase with pressure considering the temperature dependence of the Grueneisen parameter at ambient pressure and the influence of superconductivity by an extrapolation of high field data.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, SCES conference proceedin

Optical conductivity of filled skutterudites

A simple tight-binding model is constructed for the description of the electronic structure of some Ce-based filled skutterudite compounds showing an energy gap or pseudogap behavior. Assuming band-diagonal electron interactions on this tight-binding model, the optical conductivity spectrum is calculated by applying the second-order self-consistent perturbation theory to treat the electron correlation. The correlation effect is found to be of great importance on the description of the temperature dependence of the optical conductivity. The rapid disappearance of an optical gap with increasing temperature is obtained as observed in the optical experiment for Ce-based filled-skutterudite compounds.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, use jpsj2.cls, to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Vol.73, No.10 (2004

A de Haas-van Alphen study of the filled skutterudite compounds PrOs4_4As12_{12} and LaOs4_4As12_{12}

Comprehensive magnetic-field-orientation dependent studies of the susceptibility and de Haas-van Alphen effect have been carried out on single crystals of the filled skutterudites PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$ and LaOs$_4$As$_{12}$ using magnetic fields of up to 40~T. Several peaks are observed in the low-field susceptibility of PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$, corresponding to cascades of metamagnetic transitions separating the low-field antiferromagnetic and high-field paramagnetic metal (PMM) phases. The de Haas-van Alphen experiments show that the Fermi-surface topologies of PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$ in its PMM phase and LaOs$_4$As$_{12}$ are very similar. In addition, they are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of bandstructure calculations for LaOs$_4$As$_{12}$ on the PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$ lattice. Both observations suggest that the Pr 4$f$ electrons contribute little to the number of itinerant quasiparticles in the PMM phase. However, whilst the properties of LaOs$_4$As$_{12}$ suggest a conventional nonmagnetic Fermi liquid, the effects of direct exchange and electron correlations are detected in the PMM phase of PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$. For example, the quasiparticle effective masses in PrOs$_4$As$_{12}$ are found to decrease with increasing field, probably reflecting the gradual suppression of magnetic fluctuations associated with proximity to the low-temperature, low-field antiferromagnetic state