arXiv subjects

B. Andraka

Publications and source records attributed to B. Andraka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2013

The Fermi volume as a probe of hidden order

We demonstrate that the volume of the Fermi surface, measured very precisely using de Haas-van Alphen oscillations, can be used to probe changes in the nature and occupancy of localized electronic states. In systems with unconventional ordered states, this allows an underlying electronic order parameter to be followed to very low temperatures. We describe this effect in the field-induced antiferroquadrupolar (AFQ) ordered phase of PrOs4Sb12, a heavy fermion intermetallic compound. We find that the phase of de Haas-van Alphen oscillations is sensitively coupled, through the Fermi volume, to the configuration of the Pr f-electron states that are responsible for AFQ order. In particular, the β-sheet of the Fermi surface expands or shrinks as the occupancy of two competing localized Pr crystal field states changes. Our results are in good agreement with previous measurements, above 300 mK, of the AFQ order parameter by other methods. In addition, the low temperature sensitivity of our measurement technique reveals a strong and previously unrecognized influence of hyperfine coupling on the order parameter below 300 mK within the AFQ phase. Such hyperfine couplings could provide insight into the nature of hidden order states in other systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

On the nature of two superconducting transitions in the specific heat of PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$: Effects of crystal grinding

Specific heat, dc- and ac-magnetic susceptibility are reported for a large single crystal of PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ and, after grinding, its powder. The room temperature effective paramagnetic moment of the crystal was consistent with the Pr$^{3+}$ ionic configuration and full occupancy of the Pr-sublattice. The crystal showed two distinct anomalies in the specific heat and an overall discontinuity in $C/T$ of more than 1000 mJ/K$^2$mol. The upper transition (at $T_{c1}$) was rounded, in an agreement with previous reports. The anomaly at $T_{c2}$ was very sharp, consistent with a good quality of the crystal. We observed a shoulder in $χ$' and two peaks in $χ$'' below $T_{c1}$. However, there were no signatures in $χ$' of the lower temperature transition. PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ is extremely sensitive to grinding, which suppresses the upper superconducting transition in both the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility. $ΔC/T_{c}$ was reduced to 140 mJ/K$^2$ mol in the powdered sample. Existing data on ground, polished, and sliced crystals suggests the existence of a length scale of order 100 $μ$, characterizing the higher temperature superconducting phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2007

Thermodynamics of the Up-Up-Down Phase of the S = 1/2 Triangular-Lattice Antiferromagnet Cs$_2$CuBr$_4$

Specific heat and the magnetocaloric effect are used to probe the field-induced up-up-down phase of Cs2CuBr4, a quasi-two-dimensional spin-1/2 triangular antiferromagnet with near-maximal frustration. The shape of the magnetic phase diagram shows that the phase is stabilized by quantum fluctuations, not by thermal fluctuations as in the corresponding phase of classical spins. The magnon gaps determined from the specific heat are considerably larger than those expected for a Heisenberg antiferromagnet, probably due to the presence of a small Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Exotic Kondo-hole band resistivity and magnetoresistance of Ce$_{1-x}$La$_{x}$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$ alloys

Electrical resistivity measurements of non-magnetic single-crystalline Ce$_{1-x}$La$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$ alloys, $x=0.02$ and 0.1, are reported for temperatures down to 20 mK and magnetic fields up to 18 T. At the lowest temperatures, the resistivity of Ce$_{0.98}$La$_{0.02}$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$ has a Fermi-liquid-like temperature variation $ρ=ρ_0+A T^2$, but with negative $A$ in small fields. The resistivity has an unusually strong magnetic field dependence for a paramagnetic metal. The 20 mK resistivity increases by 75% between H=0 and 4 T and then decreases by 65% between 4 T and 18 T. Similarly, the $A$ coefficient increases with the field from -77 to 29$ μΩ$cmK$^{-2}$ between H=0 and 7 T and then decreases to 18$ μΩ$cmK$^{-2}$ for 18 T. This nontrivial temperature and field variation is attributed to the existence of a very narrow Kondo-hole band in the hybridization gap, which pins the Fermi energy. Due to disorder the Kondo-hole band has localized states close to the band edges. The resistivity for $x=0.1$ has a qualitatively similar behavior to that of $x=0.02$, but with a larger Kondo-hole band.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Magnetoresistance of Pr$_{1-x}$La$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$: Disentangling local crystalline-electric-field physics and lattice effects

Resistivity measurements were performed on Pr$_{1-x}$La$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$ single crystals at temperatures down to 20 mK and in fields up to 18 T. The results for dilute-Pr samples ($x=0.3$ and 0.67) are consistent with model calculations performed assuming a singlet crystalline-electric-field (CEF) ground state. The residual resistivity of these crystals features a smeared step centered around 9 T, the predicted crossing field for the lowest CEF levels. The CEF contribution to the magnetoresistance has a weaker-than-calculated dependence on the field direction, suggesting that interactions omitted from the CEF model lead to avoided crossing in the effective levels of the Pr$^{3+}$ ion. The dome-shaped magnetoresistance observed for $x = 0$ and 0.05 cannot be reproduced by the CEF model, and likely results from fluctuations in the field-induced antiferroquadrupolar phase.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2006

Evolution of superconductivity in Pr$_{1-x}$La$_{x}$Os$_{4}$Sb$_{12}$: Upper critical field measurements

Measurements of the upper critical field $H_{c2}$ near $T_c$ of Pr$_{1- x}$La$_{x}$Os$_{4}$Sb$_{12}$ were performed by specific heat. A positive curvature in $H_{c2}$ versus $T$ was observed in samples and concentrations exhibiting two superconducting transitions. These results argue against this curvature being due to two-band superconductivity. The critical field slope - $dH_{c2}/dT$ suggests the existence of a crossover concentration $x_{cr} \approx 0.25$, below which there is a rapid suppression of effective electron mass with La-alloying. This crossover concentration was previously detected in the measurement of the discontinuity of $C/T$ at $T_c$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

High-field phase diagram of the Haldane-gap antiferromagnet $Ni (C_5 H_{14} N_2)_2 N_3 (PF_6)$

We have determined the magnetic phase diagram of the quasi-one-dimensional $S=$ 1 Heisenberg antiferromagnet $Ni (C_5 H_{14} N_2)_2 N_3 (PF_6)$ by specific heat measurements to 150 mK in temperature and 32 T in magnetic field. When field is applied along the spin-chain direction, a new phase appears at $H_{c2}\approx 14$ T. For the previously known phases of field-induced order, accurate determination is made of the power-law exponents of the ordering temperature near the zero-temperature critical field $H_c$, owing to the four-fold improvement of the minimum temperature over the previous work. The results are compared with the predictions based on the Bose-Einstein condensation of triplet excitations. Substituting deuterium for hydrogen is found to slightly reduce the interchain exchange.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Specific heat of the $S = 1$ spin-dimer antiferromagnet Ba$_3$Mn$_2$O$_8$ in high magnetic fields

We have measured the specific heat of the coupled spin-dimer antiferromagnet Ba$_3$Mn$_2$O$_8$ to 50 mK in temperature and to 29 T in the magnetic field. The experiment extends to the midpoint of the field region (25.9 T $\leq H \leq$ 32.3 T) of the magnetization plateau at 1/2 of the saturation magnetization, and reveals the presence of three ordered phases in the field region between that of the magnetization plateau and the low-field spin-liquid region. The exponent of the phase boundary with the thermally disordered region is smaller than the theoretical value based on the Bose-Einstein condensation of spin triplets. At zero field and 29 T, the specific-heat data show gapped behaviors characteristic of spin liquids. The zero-field data indicate that the gapped triplet excitations form two levels whose energies differ by nearly a factor of two. At least the lower level is well localized. The data at 29 T reveal that the low-lying excitations at the magnetization plateau are weakly delocalized.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Tomonaga-Luttinger Liquid in a Quasi-One-Dimensional S=1 Antiferromagnet Observed by the Specific Heat

Specific heat experiments on single crystals of the S=1 quasi-one-dimensional bond-alternating antiferromagnet Ni(C_9H_24N_4)(NO_2)ClO_4, alias NTENP, have been performed in magnetic fields applied both parallel and perpendicular to the spin chains. We have found for the parallel field configuration that the magnetic specific heat (C_mag) is proportional to temperature (T) above a critical field H_c, at which the energy gap vanishes, in a temperature region above that of the long-range ordered state. The ratio C_mag/T increases as the magnetic field approaches H_c from above. The data are in good quantitative agreement with the prediction of the c=1 conformal field theory in conjunction with the velocity of the excitations calculated by a numerical diagonalization, providing a conclusive evidence for a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Absence of lattice coherence effects in Ce0.6La0.4Pb3: A magnetic field study

The specific heat of polycrystalline Ce0.6La0.4Pb3 has been measured in magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 14 T. After subtraction of a lattice contribution, the specific heat between 1 K and 10 K is well described by the S=1/2 single-impurity Kondo model with just one adjustable parameter: the zero-field Kondo temperature. In particular, the variation in the temperature and the height of the peak in C vs T is captured with good accuracy. This fit suggests that lattice coherence effects play no significant role in the magnetic-field response of this concentrated Kondo system.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Anomalous low temperature state of CeOs4Sb12: Magnetic field and La-impurity study

Specific heat for single crystalline samples of Ce1-xLaxOs4Sb12 at zero-field and magnetic fields to 14 T is reported. Our results confirm enhanced value of the electronic specific heat coefficient in the paramagnetic state. They provide arguments for the intrinsic origin of the 1.1 K anomaly. This transition leads to opening of the gap at the Fermi surface. This low temperature state of CeOs4Sb12 is extremely sensitive to chemical impurities. 2% of La substituted for Ce suppresses the transition and reduces the electronic specific heat coefficient. The magnetic field response of the specific heat is also anomalous.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

A dilute limit of CeAl$_3$: Emergence of the single-ion Kondo scaling

Strongly diluted Ce$_x$La$_{1-x}$Al$_3$ alloys have been studied by the low temperature specific heat in order to elucidate the mechanism that determine their ground state. All alloys with Ce concentrations of $0.0005 \leq x \leq 0.1$ show a $S=1/2$ Kondo behavior. However, the single-ion scaling is observed only below $x=0.01$. The true single-ion Kondo temperature is small, 0.2 K, and is identical to that for dilute CeAl$_2$. It is about 20 times smaller than that for CeAl$_3$, indicating that intersite interactions facilitate Kondo-screening in CeAl$_3$ and concentrated Ce$_x$La$_{1-x}$Al$_3$ alloys.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

A Collective Heavy Fermion State and Superconductivity in Pr$_{1-x}$La$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$: Specific Heat and Susceptibility Study

Low temperature susceptibility and specific heat for single crystals of Pr$_{1-x}$La$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$ (0 $\leq x$ $\leq 1$) are reported. La-doping leaves CEF energies of Pr essentially unchanged. The average $T_c$ is only weakly affected by the La-substitution and varies approximately linearly between the end-compounds. The second superconducting transition disappears between $x$=0.05 and 0.1. The discontinuity in $C/T$ at $T_c$, on the other hand, is drastically reduced from about 1000 mJ/K$^2$mol for $x$=0 to 200 mJ/K$^2$mol for $x$=0.2. $ΔC/T_c$ decreases further for alloys corresponding to $x\geq 0.6$ to the value of a conventional superconductor LaOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$. This behavior implies non-single impurity origin of the heavy fermion state in PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$. We argue that critical quadrupolar fluctuations are responsible for this heavy fermion state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

High magnetic field phase diagram of PrOs4Sb12

The magnetic phase diagram of PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ 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 $H \parallel (100)$ and $H \parallel (110)$ above the field where the field-induced ordered phase (FIOP) is suppressed. The constructed $H-T$ 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 $Γ_1$ singlet being the CEF ground state and suggest the level crossing (involving lowest CEF levels) as the driving mechanism of FIOP.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Specific Heat of the S=1/2 Two-Dimensional Shastry-Sutherland Antiferromagnet SrCu2(BO3)2 in High Magnetic Fields

We characterize the field-induced magnetic phases of SrCu2(BO3)2, a frustrated spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet in the two-dimensional Shastry-Sutherland lattice, using specific heat in magnetic fields up to 33 T. We find that the spin gap persists above the expected critical field Hc = Delta/g*mu_B of 21 T despite the appearance of magnetic moment in the ground state. At the magnetization plateau at 1/8 of the saturation, the Sz = +1 triplets that carry the magnetization of the ground state are observed to form a two-dimensional spin gas of massive bosons. A spin gas consisting of the same number of massive particles continues to completely dominate the specific heat in the field region above the plateau, although the magnetization increases with increasing field. Ordering is observed at a temperature immediately below the spin-gas regime.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

muSR in Ce_{1-x}La_xAl_3: anisotropic Kondo effect?

Zero-field muSR experiments in the heavy-fermion alloys Ce_{1-x}La_xAl_3, x = 0 and 0.2, examine a recent proposal that the system exhibits a strong anisotropic Kondo effect. We resolve a damped oscillatory component for both La concentrations, indicative of disordered antiferromagnetism. For x = 0.2 the oscillation frequency decreases smoothly with increasing temperature, and vanishes at the specific heat anomaly temperature T* \approx 2.2 K. Our results are consistent with the view that T* is due to a magnetic transition rather than anisotropic Kondo behavior.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Slow Spin Dynamics in Non-Fermi-Liquid UCu_{5-x}Pd_x, x = 1.0 and 1.5

Low-temperature muon spin-lattice relaxation measurements in the non-Fermi-liquid heavy-fermion alloys UCu_{5-x}Pd_x, x = 1.0 and 1.5, indicate inhomogeneously distributed f-electron spin fluctuation rates, and exhibit a time-field scaling of the muon relaxation function indicative of long-lived spin correlations. In UCu_4Pd the scaling exponent γis small and temperature independent. In UCu_{3.5}Pd_{1.5} γvaries with temperature, increasing with decreasing temperature similar to spin-glass AgMn. This suggests that the spin-glass state found for x \gtrsim 2 in UCu_{5-x}Pd_x modifies the low-frequency spin dynamics in UCu_{3.5}Pd_{1.5}.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Glassy Spin Dynamics in Non-Fermi-Liquid UCu_{5-x}Pd_x, x = 1.0 and 1.5

Local f-electron spin dynamics in the non-Fermi-liquid heavy-fermion alloys UCu_{5-x}Pd_x, x = 1.0 and 1.5, have been studied using muon spin-lattice relaxation. The sample-averaged asymmetry function Gbar(t) indicates strongly inhomogeneous spin fluctuations, and exhibits the scaling Gbar(t,H) = Gbar(t/H^γ) expected from glassy dynamics. At 0.05 K γ(x=1.0) = 0.35 \pm 0.1, but γ(x=1.5) = 0.7 \pm 0.1. This is in contrast to inelastic neutron scattering results, which yield γ= 0.33 for both concentrations. There is no sign of static magnetism \gtrsim 10^{-3} μ_B/U ion in either material above 0.05 K. Our results strongy suggest that both alloys are quantum spin glasses.

cond-mat.str-el↗