Anomalous Charge Density Wave and Fermi Surface Reconstruction in Pressurized BaFe2Al9

Abstract

The intermetallic compound BaFe2Al9 exhibits unusual physical properties associated with a charge density wave (CDW) transition. Unlike conventional CDW materials, which typically display subtle structural distortions or lattice modulations, BaFe2Al9 undergoes a first-order phase transition in which lattice strain plays a crucial role in the formation of the CDW state. To further explore this unique behavior, we conducted high-pressure studies, examining the electrical transport, magnetic, and structural properties to gain deeper insight into the underlying CDW mechanism. At ambient pressure, electrical resistivity and magnetization measurements confirm the presence of a CDW transition. Upon applying pressure, the CDW transition temperature (TCDW) shifts to higher values, reaching approximately 300 K near 3.2 GPa, and the electrical resistivity increases, suggesting that pressure modulates the charge carrier concentration. Furthermore, the initially sharp first-order transition becomes more gradual, and analysis of the temperature derivative of resistivity indicates a crossover from first-order to second-order like behavior under pressure. High-pressure magnetization measurements are consistent with the electrical transport data, showing an enhancement of TCDW with increasing pressure. The residual resistivity increases with pressure, while the Fermi liquid coefficient A decreases above 2 GPa, pointing to a possible Fermi surface reconstruction. High-pressure synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements at room temperature reveal a lattice anomaly near 3.8 GPa, marked by a distinct trend change in macrostrain, further supporting the existence of a pressure induced structural response. These findings provide valuable insight into the nature of CDW formation in BaFe2Al9 and highlight the critical role of lattice strain and external pressure in tuning its electronic ground state.