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C. Geibel

Publications and source records attributed to C. Geibel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The phase diagram of CeRh$_{2}$As$_{2}$ for out-of-plane magnetic field

The heavy-fermion superconductor CeRh$_{2}$As$_{2}$ ($T_{\textrm{c}} = 0.35\, \textrm{K}$) shows two superconducting (SC) phases, SC1 and SC2, when a magnetic field is applied parallel to the $c$ axis of the tetragonal unit cell. All experiments to date indicate that the change in SC order parameter detected at $\mu_{\textrm{0}}H^{*} \approx 4\, \textrm{T}$ is due to strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling at the Ce sites caused by the locally non-centrosymmetric environments of the otherwise globally centrosymmetric crystalline structure. Another phase (phase I) exists in this material below $T_{\textrm{0}} = 0.54\, \textrm{K}$. In a previous specific heat study [K. Semeniuk et al. Phys. Rev. B, $107$, L220504 (2023)] we have shown that phase I persists up to a field $\mu_{\textrm{0}}H_{0} \approx 6\, \textrm{T}$, larger than $H^{*}$. From thermodynamic arguments we expected the phase-I boundary line to cross phase SC2 at a tetracritical point. However, we could not find any signature of the phase-I line inside the SC2 phase and speculated that this was due to the fact that the $T_{0}(H)$ line is almost perpendicular to the $H$ axis and, therefore, invisible to $T$-dependent measurements. This would imply a weak competition between the two order parameters. Here, we report magnetic field dependent measurements of the magnetostriction and ac-susceptibility on high-quality single crystals. We see clear evidence of the singularity at $H_{0}$ inside the SC2 phase and confirm our previous prediction. Furthermore, we observe the transition across the $T^{*}(H)$ line in $T$-dependent specific heat measurements, which show that the $T^{*}(H)$ line is not perpendicular to the field axis, but has a positive slope. Our work supports recent $\mu$SR results which suggest coexistence of phase I with superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el

Origin of the non-Fermi-liquid behavior in CeRh2As2

Unconventional superconductivity in heavy-fermion systems appears often near magnetic quantum critical points (QCPs). This seems to be the case also for CeRh2As2 (Tc $\approx$ 0.31 K). CeRh2As2 shows two superconducting (SC) phases, SC1 and SC2, for a magnetic field along the c axis of the tetragonal unit cell, but only the SC1 phase is observed for a field along the basal plane. Furthermore, another ordered state (phase-I) is observed below T0 $\approx$ 0.48 K whose nature is still unclear: Thermodynamic and magnetic measurements pointed to a non magnetic multipolar state, but recent $\mu$SR and NQR/NMR experiments have clearly detected antiferromagnetic (AFM) order below T0 . Also, quasi-two-dimensional AFM fluctuations were observed in NMR and neutron-scattering experiments above T0. The proximity of a QCP is indicated by non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) behavior observed above the ordered states in both specific heat $C(T)/T \propto T^{-0.6}$ and resistivity $\rho(T) \propto T^{0.5}$. These T-dependencies are not compatible with any generic AFM QCP. Because of the strong magnetic-field anisotropy of both the SC phase and phase I, it is possible to study a field-induced SC QCP as well a phase-I QCP by varying the angle $\alpha$ between the field and the c axis. Thus, by examining the behavior of the electronic specific-heat coefficient C(T)/T across these QCPs, we can determine which phase is associated with the NFL behavior. Here, we present low-temperature specific-heat measurements taken in a magnetic field as high as 21 T applied at several angles $\alpha$. We observe that the NFL behavior does very weakly depend on the field and on the angle $\alpha$, a result that is at odd with that observations in standard magnetic QCPs. This suggests a nonmagnetic origin of the quantum critical fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el

Electronuclear Quantum Criticality

We present here a rare example of electronuclear quantum criticality in a metal. The compound YbCu4.6Au0.4 is located at an unconventional quantum critical point (QCP). In this material the relevant Kondo and RKKY exchange interactions are very weak, of the order of 1 K. Furthermore, there is strong competition between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic correlations, possibly due to geometrical frustration within the fcc Yb sublattice. This causes strong spin fluctuations which prevent the system to order magnetically. Because of the very low Kondo temperature the Yb3+ 4f-electrons couple weakly with the conduction electrons allowing the coupling to the nuclear moments of the 171Yb and 173Yb isotopes to become important. Thus, the quantum critical fluctuations observed at the QCP do not originate from purely electronic states but from entangled electronuclear states. This is evidenced by the anomalous temperature and field dependence of the specific heat at low temperatures.

cond-mat.str-el

Interplay of structure and magnetism in LuFe4Ge2 tuned by hydrostatic pressure

LuFe$_4$Ge$_2$ crystallizes in the ZrFe$_4$Si$_2$-type structure, hosting chains of Fe-tetrahedra giving rise to geometric frustration and low-dimensionality. The compound orders antiferromagnetically at around 36 K accompanied by a simultaneous structural transition from a tetragonal to an orthorhombic phase. The hydrostatic pressure dependence of the magnetic and structural transitions is investigated using electrical-transport, ac magnetic-susceptibility, ac calorimetry, M$\ddot{\rm o}$ssbauer, muon-spin relaxation ($\mu$SR), and x-ray diffraction measurements. External pressure suppresses the first-order transition to the antiferromagnetic phase (AFM1) around 1.8 GPa. The structural transition is largely unaffected by pressure and remains between 30 to 35 K for pressures up to 2 GPa. A second antiferromagnetic phase (AFM2) is observed at higher pressures. The transition from the paramagnetic to the AFM2 phase is of second-order nature and appears to be connected to the structural transition. The magnetic volume fraction obtained from $\mu$SR and M$\ddot{\rm o}$ssbauer measurements reveal that the entire sample undergoes magnetic ordering in both magnetic phases. In addition, similar low-temperature muon-precession frequencies in AFM1 and AFM2 phases point at similar ordered moments and magnetic structures in both phases. Our results further indicate enhanced magnetic fluctuations in the pressure induced AFM2 phase. The experimental observations together with density functional theory calculations suggest that the magnetic and structural order parameters in LuFe$_4$Ge$_2$ are linked by magnetic frustration, causing the simultaneous magneto-structural transition.

cond-mat.str-el

Electro-nuclear transition into a spatially modulated magnetic state in YbRh$_2$Si$_2$

The nature of the antiferromagnetic order in the heavy fermion metal YbRh$_2$Si$_2$, its quantum criticality, and superconductivity, which appears at low mK temperatures, remain open questions. We report measurements of the heat capacity over the wide temperature range 180 $\mu$K - 80 mK, using current sensing noise thermometry. In zero magnetic field we observe a remarkably sharp heat capacity anomaly at 1.5 mK, which we identify as an electro-nuclear transition into a state with spatially modulated electronic magnetic order of maximum amplitude 0.1$\mu_B$. We also report results of measurements in magnetic fields in the range 0 to 70 mT, applied perpendicular to the c-axis, which show eventual suppression of this order. These results demonstrate a coexistence of a large moment antiferromagnet with putative superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el

Neutron Depolarization due to Ferromagnetism and Spin Freezing in CePd$_{1-x}$Rh$_x$

We report neutron depolarization measurements of the suppression of long-range ferromagnetism and the emergence of magnetic irreversibilities and spin freezing in CePd$_{1-x}$Rh$_x$ around $x^*\approx0.6$. Tracking the temperature versus field history of the neutron depolarization, we find clear signatures of long-range Ising ferromagnetism below a Curie temperature $T_{\rm C}$ for $x=0.4$ and a spin freezing of tiny ferromagnetic clusters below a freezing temperature $T_{\rm F1}$ for $x>x^*$. Under zero-field-cooling/field-heating and for $x>x^*$ a reentrant temperature dependence of the neutron depolarization between $T_{\rm F2}<T_{\rm F1}$ and $T_{\rm F1}$ is microscopically consistent with a thermally activated growth of the cluster size. The evolution of the depolarization as well as the reentrant temperature dependence as a function of Rh content are consistent with the formation of a Kondo-cluster glass below $T_{\rm F1}$ adjacent to a ferromagnetic quantum phase transition at $x^*$.

cond-mat.str-el

Field-angle dependence reveals odd-parity superconductivity in CeRh$_2$As$_2$

CeRh$_2$As$_2$ is an unconventional superconductor with multiple superconducting phases and $T_\mathrm{c} = 0.26$ K. When $H\parallel c$, it shows a field-induced transition at $\mu_0H^* = 4$ T from a low-field superconducting state SC1 to a high-field state SC2 with a large critical field of $\mu_0H_\mathrm{c2} = 14$ T. In contrast, for $H\perp c$, only the SC1 with $\mu_0H_\mathrm{c2} = 2$ T is observed. A simple model based on the crystal symmetry was able to reproduce the phase-diagrams and their anisotropy, identifying SC1 and SC2 with even and odd parity superconducting states, respectively. However, additional orders were observed in the normal state which might have an influence on the change of the superconducting state at $H^*$. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the angle dependence of the upper critical fields using magnetic ac-susceptibility, specific heat and torque on single crystals of CeRh$_2$As$_2$. The experiments show that the state SC2 is strongly suppressed when rotating the magnetic field away from the $c$ axis and it disappears for an angle of 35$^{\circ}$. This behavior agrees perfectly with our extended model of a pseudospin triplet state with $\vec{d}$ vector in the plane and hence allows to nail down that SC2 is indeed the suggested odd-parity state.

cond-mat.supr-con

Conventional type-II superconductivity in locally non-centrosymmetric LaRh$_2$As$_2$ single crystals

We report on the observation of superconductivity in LaRh$_2$As$_2$, which is the analogue without $f$-electrons of the heavy-fermion system with two superconducting phases CeRh$_2$As$_2$. A zero-resistivity transition, a specific-heat jump and a drop in magnetic ac susceptibility consistently point to a superconducting transition at a transition temperature of $T_c = 0.28$\,K. The magnetic field-temperature superconducting phase diagrams determined from field-dependent ac-susceptibility measurements reveal small upper critical fields $\mu_{\mathrm{0}}H_{c2} \approx 12$\,mT for $H\parallel ab$ and $\mu_{\mathrm{0}}H_{c2} \approx 9$\,mT for $H\parallel c$. The observed $H_{c2}$ is larger than the estimated thermodynamic critical field $H_c$ derived from the heat-capacity data, suggesting that LaRh$_2$A$s_2$ is a type-II superconductor with Ginzburg-Landau parameters $\kappa^{ab}_{GL} \approx 1.9$ and $\kappa^{c}_{GL}\approx 2.7$. The microscopic Eliashberg theory indicates superconductivity to be in the weak-coupling regime with an electron-phonon coupling constant $\lambda_{e-ph} \approx 0.4$. Despite a similar $T_c$ and the same crystal structure as the Ce compound, LaRh$_2$As$_2$ displays conventional superconductivity, corroborating the substantial role of the 4$f$ electrons for the extraordinary superconducting state in CeRh$_2$As$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con

Possible quadrupole density wave in the superconducting Kondo lattice CeRh2As2

CeRh2As2 has recently been reported to be a rare case of multi-phase unconventional superconductor [S. Khim et al., arXiv:2101.09522] close to a quantum critical point (QCP). Here, we present a comprehensive study of its normal state properties and of the phase (I) below To ~ 0.4 K which preempts superconductivity at Tc = 0.26 K. The 2nd-order phase transition at To presents signatures in specific heat and thermal expansion, but none in magnetization and ac-susceptibility, indicating a non-magnetic origin of phase I. In addition, an upturn of the in-plane resistivity at To points to a gap opening at the Fermi level in the basal plane. Thermal expansion indicates a strong positive pressure dependence of To , dTo/dp = 1.5 K/GPa, in contrast to the strong negative pressure coefficient observed for magnetic order in Ce-based Kondo lattices close to a QCP. Similarly, an in-plane magnetic field shifts To to higher temperatures and transforms phase I into another non-magnetic phase (II) through a 1st-order phase transition at about 9 T. Using renormalized band structure calculations, we found that the Kondo effect (TK ~ 30 K) leads to substantial mixing of the excited crystalline-electric-field (CEF) states into the ground state. This allows quadrupolar degrees of freedom in the resulting heavy bands at the Fermi level which are prone to nesting. The huge sensitivity of the quadrupole moment on hybridization together with nesting would cause an unprecedented case of phase transition into a quadrupole-density-wave (QDW) state at a temperature To << TK , which would explain the nature of phase I and II.

cond-mat.str-el

Single crystal growth and physical properties of pyroxene CoGeO$_3$

We report on the synthesis and physical properties of cm-sized CoGeO$_3$ single crystals grown in a high pressure mirror furnace at pressures of 80~bar. Direction dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements on our single crystals reveal highly anisotropic magnetic properties that we attribute to the impact of strong single ion anisotropy appearing in this system with T$_N$~$\sim$~33.5~K. Furthermore, we observe effective magnetic moments that are exceeding the spin only values of the Co ions which reveals the presence of sizable orbital moments in CoGeO$_3$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Field-induced transition from even to odd parity superconductivity in CeRh$_2$As$_2$

We report the discovery of two-phase unconventional superconductivity in CeRh$_2$As$_2$. Using thermodynamic probes, we establish that the superconducting critical field of its high-field phase is as high as 14 T, remarkable in a material whose transition temperature is 0.26 K. Furthermore, a $c$-axis field drives a transition between two different superconducting phases. In spite of the fact that CeRh$_2$As$_2$ is globally centrosymmetric, we show that local inversion-symmetry breaking at the Ce sites enables Rashba spin-orbit coupling to play a key role in the underlying physics. More detailed analysis identifies the transition from the low- to high-field states to be associated with one between states of even and odd parity.

cond-mat.supr-con

Electron doping of the iron-arsenide superconductor CeFeAsO controlled by hydrostatic pressure

In the iron-pnictide material CeFeAsO not only the Fe moments, but also the local 4f moments of the Ce order antiferromagnetically at low temperatures. We elucidate on the peculiar role of the Ce on the emergence of superconductivity. While application of pressure suppresses the iron SDW ordering temperature monotonously up to 4 GPa, the Ce-4f magnetism is stabilized, until both types of magnetic orders disappear abruptly and a narrow SC dome develops. With further increasing pressure characteristics of a Kondo-lattice system become more and more apparent in the electrical resistivity. This suggests a connection of the emergence of superconductivity with the extinction of the magnetic order and the onset of Kondo-screening of the Ce-4f moments.

cond-mat.supr-con

Putative quantum critical point in the itinerant magnet ZrFe$_4$Si$_2$ with a frustrated quasi-one-dimensional structure

The Fe sublattice in the compound ZrFe$_4$Si$_2$ features geometrical frustration and quasi-one-dimensionality. We therefore investigated the magnetic behavior in ZrFe$_4$Si$_2$ and its evolution upon substituting Ge for Si and under the application of hydrostatic pressure using structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and electrical-transport probes. Magnetic measurements reveal that ZrFe$_4$Si$_2$ holds paramagnetic Fe moments with an effective moment $\mu_{\rm eff}= 2.18~\mu_{B}$. At low temperatures the compound shows a weak short-range magnetic order below 6 K. Our studies demonstrate that substituting Ge for Si increases the unit-cell volume and stabilizes the short-range order into a long-range spin-density wave type magnetic order. On the other hand, hydrostatic pressure studies using electrical-resistivity measurements on ZrFe$_4$(Si$_{0.88}$Ge$_{0.12}$)$_2$ indicate a continuous suppression of the magnetic ordering upon increasing pressure. Therefore, our combined chemical substitution and hydrostatic pressure studies suggest the existence of a lattice-volume-controlled quantum critical point in ZrFe$_4$Si$_2$.

cond-mat.str-el

Gradual pressure-induced enhancement of magnon excitations in CeCoSi

CeCoSi is an intermetallic antiferromagnet with a very unusual temperature-pressure phase diagram: at ambient pressure it orders below $T_{\mathrm{N}} = 8.8$ K, while application of hydrostatic pressure induces a new magnetically ordered phase with exceptionally high transition temperature of $\sim40$ K at 1.5 GPa. We studied the magnetic properties and the pressure-induced magnetic phase of CeCoSi by means of elastic and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and heat capacity measurements. At ambient pressure CeCoSi orders into a simple commensurate AFM structure with a reduced ordered moment of only $m_{\mathrm{Ce}} = 0.37(6)$ $\mu_{\mathrm{B}}$. Specific heat and low-energy INS indicate a significant gap in the low-energy magnon excitation spectrum in the antiferromagnetic phase, with the CEF excitations located above 10 meV. Hydrostatic pressure gradually shifts the energy of the magnon band towards higher energies, and the temperature dependence of the magnons measured at 1.5 GPa is consistent with the phase diagram. Moreover, the CEF excitations are also drastically modified under pressure.

cond-mat.str-el

Strong magnetoelastic effect in CeCo$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$Si as N\'eel order is suppressed

A very strong magnetoelastic effect in the CeCo$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$Si alloys is reported. The strength of the magnetostrictive effect can be tuned upon changing $x$. The moderate low-temperature linear magnetostriction observed at low Fe concentrations becomes very large ($\frac {\Delta L}{L} \left(16 T,2 K\right) =$ 3$\times$10$^{-3}$) around the critical concentration ($x_c \approx$ 0.23) at which the long-range antiferromagnetic order vanishes. Upon increasing doping through the non-magnetic region ($x > x_c$), the magnetostriction strength gradually weakens again. Remarkably the low-temperature magnetostriction at the critical concentration shows a pronounced $S$-like shape (centered at $B_m \sim$ 6 T) resembling other well-known Ce-based metamagnetic systems like CeRu$_2$Si$_2$ and CeTiGe. Unlike what is observed in these compounds, however, the field dependence of the magnetization shows only a minor upturn around $B_m$ vaguely resembling a metamagnetic behavior. The subtle interplay between magnetic order and the Kondo screening seems to originate an enhanced valence susceptibility slightly changing the Ce ions valence, ultimately triggering the large magnetostriction observed around the critical concentration.

cond-mat.str-el

Thermopower evolution in Yb(Rh$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$Si$_2$

We present thermopower measurements on Yb(Rh$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$Si$_2$. Upon Co substitution the Kondo temperature is decreasing and the single large thermopower minimum observed for YbRh$_2$Si$_2$ splits into two minima. Simultaneously, the absolute thermopower values are strongly reduced due to a weaker exchange coupling between the $4f$ and the conduction electron states with increasing $x$. Pure YbCo$_2$Si$_2$ is considered a stable, trivalent system. Nevertheless, we still observe two minima in the thermopower indicative of weak residual Kondo scattering. This is in line with results from photo emission spectroscopy revealing a tiny contribution from Yb$^{2+}$. The value at the high-$T$ minimum in $S(T)$ is found to be proportional to the Sommerfeld coefficient for the whole series. This unexpected finding is discussed in relation to recent measurements of the valence and Fermi surface evolution with temperature.

cond-mat.str-el

Evidence for the presence of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in CeCu$_2$Si$_2$ revealed using $^{63}$Cu NMR

Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were performed on CeCu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ in the presence of a magnetic field close to the upper critical field $\mu_{0} H_{\rm c2}$ in order to investigate its superconducting (SC) properties near pair-breaking fields. In lower fields, the Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by temperature $1/T_1T$ abruptly decreased below the SC transition temperature $T_{\rm c}(H)$, a phenomenon understood within the framework of conventional spin-singlet superconductivity. In contrast, $1/T_1T$ was enhanced just below $T_{\rm c}(H)$ and exhibited a broad maximum when magnetic fields close to $\mu_0H_{\rm c2}(0)$ were applied parallel or perpendicular to the $c$ axis, although the Knight shift decreased just below $T_{\rm c}(H)$. This enhancement of $1/T_1T$, which was recently observed in the organic superconductor $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_{2}$Cu(NCS)$_{2}$, suggests the presence of high-density Andreev bound states in the inhomogeneous SC region, a hallmark of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase.

cond-mat.supr-con

Non-Fermi-liquid behavior at anti-ferromagnetic quantum critical point in heavy fermion system Ce(Cu$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$Ge$_2$

Polycrystalline samples of Ce(Cu$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$Ge$_2$ were investigated by means of electrical resistivity $\rho$($T$), magnetic susceptibility $\chi$($T$), specific heat $C$$_p$($T$) and thermo electric power $S$($T$) measurements. The long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) order, which set in at $T$$_N$ = 4.1 K in CeCu$_2$Ge$_2$, is suppressed by non-iso-electronic cobalt (Co) doping at a critical value of the concentration $x$$_c$ = 0.6, accompanied by non-Fermi liquid (NFL) behavior inferred from the power law dependence of heat capacity and susceptibility i.e. $C$($T$)/$T$ and $\chi$($T$) $\propto$ $T$$^{-1+\lambda}$ down to 0.4 K, along with a clear deviation from $T$$^2$ behavior of the electrical resistivity. However, we have not seen any superconducting phase in the quantum critical regime down to 0.4 K.

cond-mat.str-el