394 research outputs found
Quantum Criticality in doped CePd_1-xRh_x Ferromagnet
CePd_1-xRh_x alloys exhibit a continuous evolution from ferromagnetism (T_C=
6.5 K) at x = 0 to a mixed valence (MV) state at x = 1. We have performed a
detailed investigation on the suppression of the ferromagnetic (F) phase in
this alloy using dc-(\chi_dc) and ac-susceptibility (\chi_ac), specific heat
(C_m), resistivity (\rho) and thermal expansion (\beta) techniques. Our results
show a continuous decrease of T_C (x) with negative curvature down to T_C = 3K
at x*= 0.65, where a positive curvature takes over. Beyond x*, a cusp in cac is
traced down to T_C* = 25 mK at x = 0.87, locating the critical concentration
between x = 0.87 and 0.90. The quantum criticality of this region is recognized
by the -log(T/T_0) dependence of C_m/T, which transforms into a T^-q (~0.5) one
at x = 0.87. At high temperature, this system shows the onset of valence
instability revealed by a deviation from Vegard's law (at x_V~0.75) and
increasing hybridization effects on high temperature \chi_dc and \rho.
Coincidentally, a Fermi liquid contribution to the specific heat arises from
the MV component, which becomes dominant at the CeRh limit. In contrast to
antiferromagnetic systems, no C_m/T flattening is observed for x > x_cr rather
the mentioned power law divergence, which coincides with a change of sign of
\beta. The coexistence of F and MV components and the sudden changes in the T
dependencies are discussed in the context of randomly distributed magnetic and
Kondo couplings.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure
Low temperature magnetic phase diagram of the cubic non-Fermi liquid system CeIn_(3-x)Sn_x
In this paper we report a comprehensive study of the magnetic susceptibility
(\chi), resistivity (\rho), and specific heat (C_P), down to 0.5 K of the cubic
CeIn_(3-x)Sn_x alloy. The ground state of this system evolves from
antiferromagnetic (AF) in CeIn_3(T_N=10.2 K) to intermediate-valent in CeSn_3,
and represents the first example of a Ce-lattice cubic non-Fermi liquid (NFL)
system where T_N(x) can be traced down to T=0 over more than a decade of
temperature. Our results indicate that the disappearance of the AF state occurs
near x_c ~ 0.7, although already at x ~ 0.4 significant modifications of the
magnetic ground state are observed. Between these concentrations, clear NFL
signatures are observed, such as \rho(T)\approx \rho_0 + A T^n (with n<1.5) and
C_P(T)\propto -T ln(T) dependencies. Within the ordered phase a first order
phase transition occurs for 0.25 < x < 0.5. With larger Sn doping, different
weak \rho(T) dependencies are observed at low temperatures between x=1 and x=3
while C_P/T shows only a weak temperature dependence.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures. Accepted in Eur. J. Phys.
Thermodynamic analysis of the Quantum Critical behavior of Ce-lattice compounds
A systematic analysis of low temperature magnetic phase diagrams of Ce
compounds is performed in order to recognize the thermodynamic conditions to be
fulfilled by those systems to reach a quantum critical regime and,
alternatively, to identify other kinds of low temperature behaviors. Based on
specific heat () and entropy () results, three different types of
phase diagrams are recognized: i) with the entropy involved into the ordered
phase () decreasing proportionally to the ordering temperature
(), ii) those showing a transference of degrees of freedom from the
ordered phase to a non-magnetic component, with their jump
() vanishing at finite temperature, and iii) those ending in a
critical point at finite temperature because their do not decrease
with producing an entropy accumulation at low temperature.
Only those systems belonging to the first case, i.e. with as
, can be regarded as candidates for quantum critical behavior.
Their magnetic phase boundaries deviate from the classical negative curvature
below \,K, denouncing frequent misleading extrapolations down to
T=0. Different characteristic concentrations are recognized and analyzed for
Ce-ligand alloyed systems. Particularly, a pre-critical region is identified,
where the nature of the magnetic transition undergoes significant
modifications, with its discontinuity strongly
affected by magnetic field and showing an increasing remnant entropy at . Physical constraints arising from the third law at are discussed
and recognized from experimental results
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