arXiv subjects

Alexandre Pourret

Publications and source records attributed to Alexandre Pourret.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Successive Electronic Topological Transitions in the Antiferromagnet UPd$_2$Al$_3$

We report successive anomalies at low temperature in the magnetic field dependence of the thermoelectric signal in the heavy fermion compound UPd$_{2}$Al$_{3}$ inside the antiferromagnetic state up to the metamagnetic transition at $H_\text{M} =18$~T. Based on renormalisation perturbation theory and the partitioning of the $f$ orbitals into localized and delocalized parts, our analysis attributes these anomalies to complex topological changes of the Fermi surface driven by Zeeman effect. The observation of a sudden change of sign both in the thermoelectric power and in the Hall coefficient at $H_\text{M}$ in addition to the appearance of large quantum oscillations in the thermoelectric power above $H_\text{M}$ indicate a strong Fermi surface reconstruction at the metamagnetic transition due to the unfolding of the electronic bands.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Metastability of the Topological Magnetic Orders in the Chiral Antiferromagnet EuPtSi

We report resistivity and Hall effect measurements in the chiral antiferromagnet EuPtSi. Depending on the magnetic field orientation with respect to the crystallographic axes, EuPtSi presents different topological magnetic phases below the N\'eel temperature $T_N=4.05$K. In particular, for a field $H \parallel $ [111], it exhibits the well known skyrmion lattice A-phase inside the conical phase between $T=0.45$K and $T_N$ in the field range from 0.8T to 1.4T. Remarkably, the skyrmion lattice state in EuPtSi, composed of nanoscale skyrmions, can be extended down to very low temperature (lower than 0.1K) through field-cooling regardless of the cooling rate and of the magnetic history. Similarly the metastability of the A'- and B-phases ($H \parallel $ [100]) at low temperature is evidenced by our measurements. These results suggest that EuPtSi is a peculiar example where the competition between the topological stability and the thermal agitation can lead to metastable quantum skyrmion state.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Discovery of a new phase in thin flakes of KV$_{3}$Sb$_{5}$ under pressure

We report results of magnetotransport measurements on KV$_3$Sb$_5$ thin flakes under pressure. Our zero-field electrical resistance reveals an additional anomaly emerging under pressure ($p$), marking a previously unidentified phase boundary $T^{\rm \ast}$($p$). Together with the established $T_{\rm CDW}(p)$ and $T_c(p)$, denoting the charge-density-wave transition and a superconducting transition, respectively, the temperature-pressure phase diagram of KV$_3$Sb$_5$ features a rich interplay among multiple phases. The Hall coefficient evolves reasonably smoothly when crossing the $T^{\rm \ast}$ phase boundary compared with the variation when crossing $T_{\rm CDW}$, indicating the preservation of the pristine electronic structure. The mobility spectrum analysis provides further insights into distinguishing different phases. Finally, our high-pressure quantum oscillation studies up to 31 T combined with density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that the new phase does not reconstruct the Fermi surface, confirming that the translational symmetry of the pristine metallic state is preserved.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Unveiling the double-peak structure of quantum oscillations in the specific heat

Quantum oscillation phenomenon is an essential tool to understand the electronic structure of quantum matter. Here we report a systematic study of quantum oscillations in the electronic specific heat $C_{el}$ in natural graphite. We show that the crossing of a single spin Landau level and the Fermi energy give rise to a double-peak structure, in striking contrast to the single peak expected from Lifshitz-Kosevich theory. Intriguingly, the double-peak structure is predicted by the kernel term for $C_{el}/T$ in the free electron theory. The $C_{el}/T$ represents a spectroscopic tuning fork of width 4.8 $k_B T$ which can be tuned at will to resonance. Using a coincidence method, the double-peak structure can be used to accurately determine the Lande $g$-factor of quantum materials. More generally, the tuning fork can be used to reveal any peak in fermionic density of states tuned by magnetic field, such as Lifshitz transition in heavy-fermion compounds.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Fermi Surface and Lifshitz Transitions of a Ferromagnetic Superconductor under External Magnetic Fields

Lifshitz transitions are being increasingly recognised as significant in a wide variety of strongly correlated and topological materials, and understanding the origin and influence of Lifshitz transitions is leading to deeper understanding of key aspects of magnetic, transport or quantum critical behavior. In the ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe, a magnetic field applied along the c-axis has been shown to induce a series of anomalies in both transport and thermopower that may be caused by Lifshitz transitions. The need to understand the subtleties of the relationship between magnetism, superconductivity and a heavy electron Fermi surface in the ferromagnetic superconductors makes it important to explore if and why a series of magnetic-field-induced Lifshitz transitions occurs in UCoGe. Here we report magnetic susceptibility measurements of UCoGe, performed at temperatures down to 45 mK and magnetic fields (B ||c) up to 30 T. We observe a series of clearly-defined features in the susceptibility, and multiple sets of strongly field-dependent de Haas-van Alphen oscillations, from which we extract detailed field-dependence of the quasiparticle properties. We complement our experimental results with density functional theory bandstructure calculations, and include a simple model of the influence of magnetic field on the calculated Fermi surface. By comparing experimental and calculated results, we determine the likely shape of the Fermi surface and identify candidate Lifshitz transitions that could correspond to two of the features in susceptibility. We connect these results to the development of magnetization in the system.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Field-induced compensation of magnetic exchange as the possible origin of reentrant superconductivity in UTe$_2$

The potential spin-triplet heavy-fermion superconductor UTe$_2$ exhibits signatures of multiple distinct superconducting phases. For field aligned along the $b$ axis, a metamagnetic transition occurs at $\mu_0 H_\mathrm{m}\approx35\,$T. It is associated with magnetic fluctuations that may be beneficial for the field-reinforced superconductivity surviving up to $H_\mathrm{m}$. Once the field is tilted away from the $b$ towards the $c$ axis, a reentrant superconducting phase emerges just above $H_\mathrm{m}$. In order to better understand this remarkably field-resistant superconducting phase, we conducted magnetic-torque and magnetotransport measurements in pulsed magnetic fields. We determine the record-breaking upper critical field of $\mu_0 H_\mathrm{c2}\approx 73\,$T and its evolution with angle. Furthermore, the normal-state Hall effect experiences a drastic suppression indicative of a reduced band polarization above $H_\mathrm{m}$ in the angular range around $30^\circ$ caused by a partial compensation between the applied field and an exchange field. This promotes the Jaccarino-Peter effect as a likely mechanism for the reentrant superconductivity above $H_\mathrm{m}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Field-induced tuning of the pairing state in a superconductor

The recently discovered superconductor UTe$_2$, with a T$_c$ between 1.5~K and 2~K, is attracting much attention due to strong suspicion of spin-triplet and topological superconductivity. Its properties under magnetic field are also remarkable, with field-reinforced and field-induced superconducting phases. Here, we report the first complete thermodynamic determination of the phase diagram for fields applied along the three crystallographic directions. Measurements were performed up to 36~T along the hard magnetisation $b$~axis in order to follow the superconducting transition up to the metamagnetic transition at $H_{m} = 34.75$~T. They reveal the existence of a phase transition line within the superconducting phase, and drastic differences occurring between these two phases. Detailed analysis supports a different spin state between the two phases, implying a low-field spin-triplet to high-field spin-singlet transition, a unique case among superconductors, giving insight on the mechanisms leading to spin-triplet superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Field-Induced Superconductivity near the Superconducting Critical Pressure in UTe2

We report the magnetoresistance in the novel spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 under pressure close to the critical pressure Pc, where the superconducting phase terminates, for field along the three a, b and c-axes in the orthorhombic structure. The superconducting phase for H // a-axis just below Pc shows a field-reentrant behavior due to the competition with the emergence of magnetic order at low fields. The upper critical field Hc2 for H // c-axis shows a quasi-vertical increase in the H-T phase diagram just below Pc, indicating that superconductivity is reinforced by the strong fluctuations which persist even at high fields above 20T. Increasing pressure leads to the disappearance of superconductivity at zero field with the emergence of magnetic order. Surprisingly, field-induced superconductivity is observed at high fields, where a spin-polarized state is realized due to the suppression of the magnetic ordered phases; the spin-polarized state is favorable for superconductivity, whereas the magnetic ordered phase at low field seems to be unfavorable. The huge Hc2 in the spin-polarized state seems to imply a spin-triplet state. Contrary to the a- and c-axes, no field-reinforcement of superconductivity occurs for magnetic field along the b-axis. We compare the results with the field-reentrant superconductivity above the metamagnetic field, Hm for the field direction tilted by about 30 deg. from b to c-axis at ambient pressure as well as the field-reentrant (-reinforced) superconductivity in ferromagnetic superconductors, URhGe and UCoGe.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Evidence of Fermi-Surface Reconstruction at the Metamagnetic Transition of the Strongly Correlated Superconductor UTe2

Thermoelectric power ($S$) and Hall effect ($R_\mathrm{H}$) measurements on the paramagnetic superconductor UTe$_2$ with magnetic field applied along the hard magnetization $b$-axis are reported. The first order nature of the metamagnetic transition at $H_\mathrm{m}=H^b_\mathrm{c2}=35$~T leads to drastic consequences on $S$ and $R_\mathrm{H}$. In contrast to the field dependence of the specific heat in the normal state through $H_\mathrm{m}$, $S(H)$ is not symmetric with respect to $H_\mathrm{m}$. This implies a strong interplay between ferromagnetic (FM) fluctuations and a Fermi-surface reconstruction at $H_\mathrm{m}$. $R_\mathrm{H}$ is very well described by incoherent skew scattering above the coherence temperature $T_\mathrm{m}$ corresponding roughly to the temperature of the maximum in the susceptibility $T_{\chi_\mathrm{max}}$ and coherent skew scattering at lower temperatures. The discontinuous field dependence of both, $S(H)$ and the ordinary Hall coefficient $R_0$, at $H_\mathrm{m}$ and at low temperature, provides evidence of a change in the band structure at the Fermi level.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Anisotropy of the Upper Critical Field in the Heavy-Fermion Superconductor UTe2 under Pressure

We studied the anisotropy of the superconducting upper critical field $H_{\rm c2}$ in the heavy-fermion superconductor UTe$_2$ under hydrostatic pressure by magnetoresistivity measurements. In agreement with previous experiments we confirm that superconductivity disappears near a critical pressure $p_{\rm c} \approx 1.5$~GPa, and a magnetically ordered state appears. The unusual $H_{\rm c2}(T)$ at low temperatures for $H \parallel a$ suggests that the multiple superconducting phases which appear under pressure have quite different $H_{\rm c2}$. For a field applied along the hard magnetization $b$ axis $H_{\rm c2} (0)$ is glued to the metamagnetic transition $H_{\rm m}$ which is suppressed near $p_{\rm c}$. The suppression of $H_{\rm m}$ with pressure follows the decrease of temperature $T_{\chi}^{\rm max}$, at the maximum in the susceptibility along $b$. The strong reinforcement of $H_{\rm c2}$ at ambient pressure for $H \parallel b$ above 16~T is rapidly suppressed under pressure due to the increase of $T_{\rm sc}$ and the decrease of $H_{\rm m}$. The change in the hierarchy of the anisotropy of $H_{\rm c2}(0)$ on approaching $p_{\rm c}$ points out that the $c$ axis becomes the hard magnetization axis.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Spin-Triplet Superconductivity in UTe2 and Ferromagnetic Superconductors

The spin-triplet state is most likely realized in uranium ferromagnetic superconductors, UGe2, URhGe, UCoGe. The microscopic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity means that the Cooper pair should be realized under the strong internal field due the ferromagnetism, leading to the spin-triplet state with equal spin pairing. The field-reinforced superconductivity, which is observed in all three materials when the ferromagnetic fluctuations are enhanced, is one of the strong evidences for the spin-triplet superconductivity. We present here the results of a newly discovered spin-triplet superconductor, UTe2, and compare those with the results of ferromagnetic superconductors. Although no magnetic order is found in UTe2, there are similarities between UTe2 and ferromagnetic superconductors. For example, the huge upper critical field exceeding the Pauli limit and the field-reentrant superconductivity for H || b-axis are observed in UTe2, URhGe and UCoGe. We also show the specific heat results on UTe2 in different quality samples, focusing on the residual density of states in the superconducting phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Transport Spectroscopy of the Field Induced Cascade of Lifshitz Transitions in YbRh2Si2

A series of strong anomalies in the thermoelectric power is observed in the heavy fermion compound YbRh$_2$Si$_2$ under the effect of magnetic field varying in the range from 9.5~T to 13~T. We identify these features with a sequence of topological transformations of the sophisticated Fermi surface of this compound, namely a cascade of Lifshitz topological transitions. In order to undoubtedly attribute these anomalies to the specific topological changes of the Fermi surface, we employ the renormalized band method. Basing on its results we suggest a simplified model consisting of the large peripheral Fermi surface sheet and the number of continuously appearing (disappearing) small "voids" or "necks". We account for the multiple electron scattering processes between various components of the Fermi surface, calculate the corresponding scattering times, and, finally, find the magnetic field dependence of the Seebeck coefficient. The obtained analytical expression reproduces reasonably the observed positions of the maxima and minima as well as the overall line shapes and allows us to identify the character of corresponding topological transformations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Fermi-Surface Instabilities in the Heavy-Fermion Superconductor UTe2

We present different transport measurements up to fields of 29~T in the recently discovered heavy-fermion superconductor UTe$_{2}$ with magnetic field $H$ applied along the easy magnetization a-axis of the body-centered orthorhombic structure. The thermoelectric power varies linearly with temperature above the superconducting transition, $T_{SC}= 1.5$ K, indicating that superconductivity develops in a Fermi liquid regime. As a function of field the thermolelectric power shows successive anomalies which are attributed to field-induced Fermi surface instabilities. These Fermi-surface instabilities appear at critical values of the magnetic polarization. Remarkably, the lowest magnetic field instability for $H\parallel a$ occurs for the same critical value of the magnetization (0.4 $\mu_B$) than the first order metamagnetic transition at 35~T for field applied along the $b$-axis. The estimated number of charge carriers at low temperature reveals a metallic ground state distinct from LDA calculations indicating that strong electronic correlations are a major issue in this compound.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Field-reentrant superconductivity close to a metamagnetic transition in the heavy-fermion superconductor UTe$_2$

We present a study of the upper critical field of the newly discovered heavy fermion superconductor UTe$_2$ by magnetoresistivity measurements in pulsed magnetic fields up to 60~T and static magnetic fields up to 35~T. We show that superconductivity survives up to the metamagnetic transition at $H_{\rm m} \approx 35$~T at low temperature. Above $H_{\rm m}$ superconductivity is suppressed. At higher temperature superconductivity is enhanced under magnetic field leading to reentrance of superconductivity or an almost temperature independent increase of $H_{\rm c2}$. By studying the angular dependence of the upper critical field close to the $b$ axis (hard magnetization axis) we show that the maximum of the reentrant superconductivity temperature is depinned from the metamagnetic field. A key ingredient for the field-reinforcement of superconductivity on approaching $H_{\rm m}$ appears to be an immediate interplay with magnetic fluctuations and a possible Fermi-surface reconstruction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Magnetic-Field-Induced Phenomena in the Paramagnetic Superconductor UTe$_{2}$

We present magnetoresistivity measurements on the heavy-fermion superconductor UTe$_{2}$ in pulsed magnetic fields $\mu_0H$ up to 68~T and temperatures $T$ from 1.4 to 80~K. Magnetic fields applied along the three crystallographic directions $\mathbf{a}$ (easy magnetic axis), $\mathbf{b}$, and $\mathbf{c}$ (hard magnetic axes), are found to induce different phenomena - depending on the field direction - beyond the low-field suppression of the superconducting state. For $\mathbf{H}\parallel\mathbf{a}$, a broad anomaly in the resistivity is observed at $\mu_0H^*\simeq10$~T and $T = 1.4$~K. For $\mathbf{H}\parallel\mathbf{c}$, no magnetic transition nor crossover are observed. For $\mathbf{H}\parallel\mathbf{b}$, a sharp first-order-like step in the resistivity indicates a metamagnetic transition at the field $\mu_0H_m \simeq 35$~T. When the temperature is raised signature of first-order metamagnetism is observed up to a critical endpoint at $T_{CEP}\simeq7$~K. At higher temperatures a crossover persists up to 28~K, i.e., below the temperature $T_\chi^{max} = 35$~K where the magnetic susceptibility is maximal. A sharp maximum in the Fermi-liquid quadratic coefficient $A$ of the low-temperature resistivity is found at $H_m$. It indicates an enhanced effective mass associated with critical magnetic fluctuations, possibly coupled with a Fermi surface instability. Similarly to the URhGe case, we show that UTe$_{2}$ is a candidate for field-induced reentrant superconductivity in the proximity of $H_m$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Unconventional Superconductivity in Heavy Fermion UTe2

We grew single crystals of the recently discovered heavy fermion superconductor UTe2, and measured the resistivity, specific heat and magnetoresistance. Superconductivity (SC) was clearly detected at Tsc=1.65K as sharp drop of the resistivity in a high quality sample of RRR=35. The specific heat shows a large jump at Tsc indicating strong coupling. The large Sommerfeld coefficient, 117mJ K-2mol-1 extrapolated in the normal state and the temperature dependence of C/T below Tsc are the signature of unconventional SC. The discrepancy in the entropy balance at Tsc between SC and normal states points out that hidden features must occur. Surprisingly, a large residual value of the Sommerfeld coefficient seems quite robust (gamma_0/gamma ~ 0.5). The large upper critical field Hc2 along the three principal axes favors spin-triplet SC. For H // b-axis, our experiments do not reproduce the huge upturn of Hc2 reported previously. This discrepancy may reflect that Hc2 is very sensitive to the sample quality. A new perspective in UTe2 is the proximity of a Kondo semiconducting phase predicted by the LDA band structure calculations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Dimensionality driven enhancement of ferromagnetic superconductivity in URhGe

In most unconventional superconductors, like the high-Tc cuprates, iron pnictides, or heavy fermion systems, superconductivity emerges in the proximity of an electronic instability. Identifying unambiguously the pairing mechanism remains nevertheless an enormous challenge. Among these systems, the orthorhombic uranium ferromagnetic superconductors have a unique position, notably because magnetic fields couple directly to ferromagnetic order, leading to the fascinating discovery of the re-emergence of superconductivity in URhGe at high field. Here we show that uniaxial stress is a remarkable tool allowing fine-tuning of the pairing strength. With a relatively small stress, the superconducting phase diagram is spectacularly modified, with a merging of the low and high field superconducting states and a significant enhancement of superconductivity. The superconducting critical temperature increases both at zero field and under field, reaching 1K, more than twice higher than at ambient pressure. The enhancement of superconductivity is directly related to a change of the magnetic dimensionality with an increase of the transverse magnetic susceptibility, demonstrating that in addition to the Ising-type longitudinal ferromagnetic fluctuations, transverse magnetic fluctuations also play an important role in the superconducting pairing.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Fermi Surfaces in the Antiferromagnetic, Paramagnetic and Polarized Paramagnetic States of CeRh2Si2 Compared with Quantum Oscillation Experiments

The large quantum oscillations observed in the thermoelectric power in the antiferromagnetic (AF) state of the heavy-fermion compound CeRh2Si2 disappear suddenly when entering in the polarized paramagnetic (PPM) state at Hc=26.5 T, indicating an abrupt reconstruction of the Fermi surface. The electronic band structure was [LDA+U] for the AF state taking the correct magnetic structure into account, for the PPM state, and for the paramagnetic state (PM). Different Fermi surfaces were obtained for the AF, PM, and PPM states. Due to band folding, a large number of branches was expected and observed in the AF state. The LDA+U calculation was compared with the previous LDA calculations. Furthermore, we compared both calculations with previously published de Haas-van Alphen experiments. The better agreement with the LDA approach suggests that above the critical pressure pc CeRh2Si2 enters in a mixed-valence state. In the PPM state under a high magnetic field, the 4f contribution at the Fermi level EF drops significantly compared with that in the PM state, and the 4f electrons contribute only weakly to the Fermi surface in our approach.

cond-mat.str-el↗