315 research outputs found
Tuning Heavy Fermion Systems into Quantum Criticality by Magnetic Field
We discuss a series of thermodynamic, magnetic and electrical transport
experiments on the two heavy fermion compounds CeNi2Ge2 and YbRh2Si2 in which
magnetic fields, B, are used to tune the systems from a Non-Fermi liquid (NFL)
into a field-induced FL state. Upon approaching the quantum-critical points
from the FL side by reducing B we analyze the heavy quasiparticle (QP) mass and
QP-QP scattering cross sections. For CeNi2Ge2 the observed behavior agrees well
with the predictions of the spin-density wave (SDW) scenario for
three-dimensional (3D) critical spin-fluctuations. By contrast, the observed
singularity in YbRh2Si2 cannot be explained by the itinerant SDW theory for
neither 3D nor 2D critical spinfluctuations. Furthermore, we investigate the
magnetization M(B) at high magnetic fields. For CeNi2Ge2 a metamagnetic
transition is observed at 43 T, whereas for YbRh2Si2 a kink-like anomaly occurs
at 10 T in M vs B (applied along the easy basal plane) above which the heavy
fermion state is completely suppressed.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Journal of Low Temperature Physics,
special Series on "High Magnetic Field Facilities
Microscopic Mechanism for Staggered Scalar Order in PrFe4P12
A microscopic model is proposed for the scalar order in PrFe4P12 where f2
crystalline electric field (CEF) singlet and triplet states interact with two
conduction bands. By combining the dynamical mean-field theory and the
continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo, we obtain an electronic order with
staggered Kondo and CEF singlets with the total conduction number being unity
per site. The ground state becomes semimetallic provided that the two
conduction bands have different occupation numbers. This model naturally
explains experimentally observed properties in the ordered phase of PrFe4P12
such as the scalar order parameter, temperature dependence of the resistivity,
field-induced staggered moment, and inelastic features in neutron scattering.
The Kondo effect plays an essential role for ordering, in strong contrast with
ordinary magnetic orders by the RKKY interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 4figure
Magnetic-Field Induced Quantum Critical Point in YbRhSi
We report low-temperature calorimetric, magnetic and resistivity measurements
on the antiferromagnetic (AF) heavy-fermion metal YbRhSi ( 70
mK) as a function of magnetic field . While for fields exceeding the
critical value at which the low temperature resistivity
shows an dependence, a divergence of upon
reducing to suggests singular scattering at the whole Fermi
surface and a divergence of the heavy quasiparticle mass. The observations are
interpreted in terms of a new type of quantum critical point separating a
weakly AF ordered from a weakly polarized heavy Landau-Fermi liquid state.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Phenomenological theory of a scalar electronic order: application to skutterudite PrFe4P12
By phenomenological Landau analysis, it is shown that a scalar order
parameter with the point-group symmetry explains most properties
associated with the phase transition in PrFeP at 6.5 K. The
scalar-order model reproduces magnetic and elastic properties in
PrFeP consistently such as (i) the anomaly of the magnetic
susceptibility and elastic constant at the transition temperature, (ii)
anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility in the presence of uniaxial pressure,
and (iii) the anomaly in the elastic constant in magnetic field. An Ehrenfest
relation is derived which relates the anomaly of the magnetic susceptibility to
that of the elastic constant at the transition.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure
High magnetic field phase diagram of PrOs4Sb12
The magnetic phase diagram of PrOsSb has been investigated by
specific heat measurements between 8 and 32 T. A new Schottky anomaly due to
excitations between two lowest crystalline-electric-field (CEF) singlets, has
been found for both and above the field
where the field-induced ordered phase (FIOP) is suppressed. The constructed
phase diagram shows weak magnetic anisotropy and implies a crossing of
the two CEF levels at about 8 - 9 T for both field directions. These results
provide an unambiguous evidence for the singlet being the CEF ground
state and suggest the level crossing (involving lowest CEF levels) as the
driving mechanism of FIOP.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Theoretical Description of Nearly Discontinuous Transition in Superconductors with Paramagnetic Depairing
Based on a theoretical argument and Monte Carlo simulations of a
Ginzburg-Landau model derived microscopically, it is argued that, in type-II
superconductors where {\it both} the paramagnetic {\it and} orbital depairings
are important, a strong first-order transition (FOT) at expected in
the mean field (MF) approximation never occurs in real systems and changes due
to the fluctuation into a crossover. The present result explains why a {\it
nearly} discontinuous crossover at with {\it no} intrinsic hysteresis
is observed only in a clean superconducting material with a singlet pairing and
a high condensation energy such as CeCoIn.Comment: Publication version. See cond-mat/0306060 regarding a corresponding
long pape
On the origin of multiple ordered phases in PrFe4P12
The nature of multiple electronic orders in skutterudite PrFe_4P_{12} is
discussed on the basis of a model with antiferro-quadrupole (AFQ) interaction
of \Gamma_3 symmetry. The high-field phase can be reproduced qualitatively
provided (i) ferro-type interactions are introduced between the dipoles as well
as between the octupoles of localized f-electrons, and (ii) separation is
vanishingly small between the \Gamma_1-\Gamma_4^{(1)} crystalline electric
field (CEF) levels. The high-field phase can have either the same ordering
vector q=(1,0,0) as in the low-field phase, or a different one q=0 depending on
the parameters. In the latter case, distortion of the crystal perpendicular to
the (111) axis is predicted. The corresponding anomaly in elastic constants
should also appear. The electrical resistivity is calculated with account of
scattering within the CEF quasi-quartet. It is found that the resistivity as a
function of the direction of magnetic field shows a sharp maximum around the
(111) axis at low temperatures because of the level crossing.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
Realization of Heavy Local Fermi Liquid and Non-Fermi Liquid in f Crystalline-Electric-Field Singlet-Triplet Configuration
Using the numerical renormalization group method, we investigate an extended
Anderson model, in which correlated electrons with the
(singlet)-(triplet) f crystalline-electric-field (CEF)
configuration hybridize with conduction electrons of (doublet) and
(quartet) under cubic symmetry, from a strong spin-orbit
interaction limit. For the case of the parameters relevant to PrFe4P12, the
system is under competition between the CEF singlet fixed point and the
multichannel
Kondo non-Fermi liquid fixed point arising from the quadrupolar coupling
between the impurity with pseudospin 1 and the conduction electron with
pseudospin 3/2 . We consider that this result reveals the origin of the
heaviness of the effective mass and non-Fermi liquid behavior of the Pr- based
filled skutterudite compounds.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
Pressure Evolution of the Magnetic Field induced Ferromagnetic Fluctuation through the Pseudo-Metamagnetism of CeRu2Si2
Resistivity measurements performed under pressure in the paramagnetic ground
state of CeRu2Si2 are reported. They demonstrate that the relative change of
effective mass through the pseudo metamagnetic transition is invariant under
pressure. The results are compared with the first order metamagnetic transition
due to the antiferromagnetism of Ce0.9La0.1Ru2Si2 which corresponds to the
"negative" pressure of CeRu2Si2 by volume expansion. Finally, we describe the
link between the spin-depairing of quasiparticles on CeRu2Si2 and that of
Cooper pairs on the unconventional heavy fermion superconductor CeCoIn5.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
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