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F. Steglich

Publications and source records attributed to F. Steglich.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Hall effect in heavy-fermion metals

The heavy fermion systems present a unique platform in which strong electronic correlations give rise to a host of novel, and often competing, electronic and magnetic ground states. Amongst a number of potential experimental tools at our disposal, measurements of the Hall effect have emerged as a particularly important one in discerning the nature and evolution of the Fermi surfaces of these enigmatic metals. In this article, we present a comprehensive review of Hall effect measurements in the heavy-fermion materials, and examine the success it has had in contributing to our current understanding of strongly correlated matter. Particular emphasis is placed on its utility in the investigation of quantum critical phenomena which are thought to drive many of the exotic electronic ground states in these systems. This is achieved by the description of measurements of the Hall effect across the putative zero-temperature instability in the archetypal heavy-fermion metal YbRh$_2$Si$_2$. Using the Ce$M$In$_5$ (with $M =$ Co, Ir) family of systems as a paradigm, the influence of (antiferro-)magnetic fluctuations on the Hall effect is also illustrated. This is compared to prior Hall effect measurements in the cuprates and other strongly correlated systems to emphasize on the generality of the unusual magnetotransport in materials with non-Fermi liquid behavior.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Field tuned critical fluctuations in YFe2Al10: Evidence from magnetization, 27Al (NMR, NQR) investigations

We report magnetization, specific heat, and NMR investigations on YFe2Al10 over a wide range in temperature and magnetic field and zero field (NQR) measurements. Magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by T (1/T1T) follow a weak power law (T^-0.4) temperature dependence, which is a signature of critical fluctuations of Fe moments. The value of the Sommerfeld-Wilson ratio and linear relation between 1/T1T and chi(T) suggest the existence of ferromagnetic correlations in this system. No magnetic ordering down to 50 mK in Cp(T) and the unusual temperature and field scaling of the bulk and NMR data are associated with a magnetic instability which drives the system to quantum criticality. The magnetic properties of the system are tuned by field wherein ferromagnetic fluctuations are suppressed and a crossover from quantum critical to FL behavior is observed with increasing magnetic field.

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Charge-Doping driven Evolution of Magnetism and non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior in the Filled Skutterudite CePt4Ge12-xSbx

The filled-skutterudite compound CePt4Ge12 is situated close to the border between intermediate-valence of Ce and heavy-fermion behavior. Substitution of Ge by Sb drives the system into a strongly correlated and ultimately upon further increasing the Sb concentration into an antiferromagnetically ordered state. Our experiments evidence a delicate interplay of emerging Kondo physics and the formation of a local 4f moment. An extended non-Fermi-liquid region, which can be understood in the framework of a Kondo-disorder model, is observed. Band-structure calculations support the conclusion that the physical properties are governed by the interplay of electron supply via Sb substitution and the concomitant volume effects.

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Anisotropic optical conductivity of the putative Kondo insulator CeRu$_4$Sn$_6$

Kondo insulators and in particular their non-cubic representatives have remained poorly understood. Here we report on the development of an anisotropic energy pseudogap in the tetragonal compound CeRu$_4$Sn$_6$ employing optical reflectivity measurements in broad frequency and temperature ranges, and local density approximation plus dynamical mean field theory calculations. The calculations provide evidence for a Kondo insulator-like response within the $a-a$ plane and a more metallic response along the c axis and qualitatively reproduce the experimental observations, helping to identify their origin.

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Disorder-driven electronic localization and phase separation in superconducting Fe1+yTe0.5Se0.5 single crystals

We have investigated the influence of Fe-excess on the electrical transport and magnetism of Fe1+yTe0.5Se0.5 (y=0.04 and 0.09) single crystals. Both compositions exhibit resistively determined superconducting transitions (Tc) with an onset temperature of about 15 K. From the width of the superconducting transition and the magnitude of the lower critical field Hc1, it is inferred that excess of Fe suppresses superconductivity. The linear and non-linear responses of the ac-susceptibility show that the superconducting state for these compositions is inhomogeneous. A possible origin of this phase separation is a magnetic coupling between Fe-excess occupying interstitial sites in the chalcogen planes and those in the Fe-square lattice. The temperature derivative of the resistivity drho/dT in the temperature range Tc < T < Ta with Ta being the temperature of a magnetic anomaly, changes from positive to negative with increasing Fe. A log 1/T divergence of the resistivity above Tc in the sample with higher amount of Fe suggests a disorder driven electronic localization.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Routes to heavy-fermion superconductivity

Superconductivity in lanthanide- and actinide-based heavy-fermion metals can have different microscopic origins. Among others, Cooper pair formation based on fluctuations of the valence, of the quadrupole moment or of the spin of the localized 4f/5f shell have been proposed. Spin-fluctuation mediated superconductivity in CeCu2Si2 was demonstrated by inelastic neutron scattering to exist in the vicinity of a spin-density-wave quantum critical point. The isostructural HF compound YbRh2Si2 which is prototypical for a Kondo-breakdown quantum critical point has so far not shown any sign of superconductivity down to approximately 10mK. In contrast, results of de-Haas-van-Alphen experiments by Shishido et al. (J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 74, 1103 (2005)) suggest superconductivity in CeRhIn5 close to an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point beyond the spin-density-wave type, at which the Kondo effect breaks down. For the related compound CeCoIn5 however, a field-induced quantum critical point of spin-density-wave type is extrapolated to exist inside the superconducting phase.

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Evidence for two-gap superconductivity in the non-centrosymmetric compound LaNiC$_2$

We study the superconducting properties of the non-centrosymmetric compound LaNiC$_2$ by measuring the London penetration depth $Δλ(T)$, the specific heat $C(T,B)$ and the electrical resistivity $ρ(T,B)$. Both $Δλ(T)$ and the electronic specific heat $C_e(T)$ exhibit exponential behavior at low temperatures and can be described in terms of a phenomenological two-gap BCS model. The residual Sommerfeld coefficient in the superconducting state, $γ_0(B)$, shows a fast increase at low fields and then an eventual saturation with increasing magnetic field. A pronounced upturn curvature is observed in the upper critical field $B_{c2}(T)$ near $T_{c}$. All the experimental observations support the existence of two-gap superconductivity in LaNiC$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Comment on "Zeeman-Driven Lifshitz Transition: A Model for the Experimentally Observed Fermi-Surface Reconstruction in YbRh2Si2"

In Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 137002 (2011), A. Hackl and M. Vojta have proposed to explain the quantum critical behavior of YbRh2Si2 in terms of a Zeeman-induced Lifshitz transition of an electronic band whose width is about 6 orders of magnitude smaller than that of conventional metals. Here, we note that the ultra-narrowness of the proposed band, as well as the proposed scenario per se, lead to properties which are qualitatively inconsistent with the salient features observed in YbRh2Si2 near its quantum critical point.

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Optical study of archetypical valence-fluctuating Eu-systems

We have investigated the optical conductivity of the prominent valence fluctuating compounds EuIr2Si2 and EuNi2P2 in the infrared energy range to get new insights into the electronic properties of valence fluctuating systems. For both compounds we observe upon cooling the formation of a renormalized Drude response, a partial suppression of the optical conductivity below 100 meV and the appearance of a mid-infrared peak at 0.15 eV for EuIr2Si2 and at 0.13 eV for EuNi2P2. Most remarkably, our results show a strong similarity with the optical spectra reported for many Ce- or Yb-based heavy fermion metals and intermediate valence systems, although the phase diagrams and the temperature dependence of the valence differ strongly between Eu- and Ce-/Yb-systems. This suggests that the hybridization between 4f- and conduction electrons, which is responsible for the properties of Ce- and Yb-systems, plays an important role in valence fluctuating Eu-systems.

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Determining the in-plane orientation of the ground-state orbital of CeCu2Si2

We have successfully determined the hitherto unknown sign of the B44 Stevens crystal-field parameter of the tetragonal heavy-fermion compound CeCu2Si2 using vector q dependent non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NIXS) experiments at the cerium N4,5 edge. The observed difference between the two different directions q||[100] and q||[110] is due to the anisotropy of the crystal-field ground state in the (001) plane and is observable only because of the utilization of higher than dipole transitions possible in NIXS. This approach allows us to go beyond the specific limitations of dc magnetic susceptibility, inelastic neutron scattering, and soft x-ray spectroscopy, and provides us with a reliable information about the orbital state of the 4f electrons relevant for the quantitative modeling of the quasi-particles and their interactions in heavy-fermion systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Spin dynamics of S-state ions in the filled skutterudites La1-xRx$Pt4Ge12 (R= Gd, Eu)

A detailed study of the spin dynamics of the S-state ions Gd3+ and Eu2+ in the filled skutterudites La1-xRxPt4Ge12 (R= Gd, Eu) is reported. The spin dynamics is investigated directly by means of Gd3+ and Eu2+ electron spin resonance (ESR), performed at X-band (~ 9.4 GHz) and Q-band (~ 34 GHz) frequencies in the temperature intervals 8<T<300 K and 1.5<T<300 K respectively. The ESR parameters provide direct evidence for the vibrational behavior of the Gd3+ ions but not for the Eu2+ ions. These results are interpreted in the light of recent discussions about the spin relaxation in cage systems. In particular, the Gd3+ spin relaxation in La0.9Gd0.1Pt4Ge12 provide evidence for the existence of an extra phonon mode with an Einstein temperature (thetaE) ~ 24 K in this system. The work suggests that the so-called "rattling" modes have a general and important role that should be taken into account in the study of spin dynamics in cage systems.

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Pressure Tuning of the Interplay of Magnetism and Superconductivity in CeCu2Si2

We carried out specific-heat and ac-susceptibility experiments under hydrostatic pressure to investigate the interplay of spin-density-wave antiferromagnetism (A) and superconductivity (S) in single-crystalline AS-type CeCu2Si2. We find evidence for a line of magnetic-field- and pressure-tuned quantum critical points in the normal state in the zero-temperature magnetic field-pressure plane. Our analysis suggests an extension of this line into the superconducting state and corroborates the close connection of the underlying mechanisms leading to the formation of the antiferromagnetic and the superconducting states in AS-type CeCu2Si2.

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Pair breaking by nonmagnetic impurities in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor CePt3Si

We have studied the effect of Ge substitution and pressure on the heavy-fermion superconductor CePt3Si. Ge substitution on the Si site acts as negative chemical pressure leading to an increase in the unit-cell volume but also introduces chemical disorder. We carried out electrical resistivity and ac heat-capacity experiments under hydrostatic pressure on CePt3Si1-xGex (x=0, 0.06). Our experiments show that the suppression of superconductivity in CePt3Si1-xGex is mainly caused by the scattering potential, rather than volume expansion, introduced by the Ge dopants. The antiferromagnetic order is essentially not affected by the chemical disorder.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Magnetically driven superconductivity in CeCu2Si2

The origin of unconventional superconductivity, including high-temperature and heavy-fermion superconductivity, is still a matter of controversy. Spin excitations instead of phonons are thought to be responsible for the formation of Cooper pairs. Using inelastic neutron scattering, we present the first in-depth study of the magnetic excitation spectrum in momentum and energy space in the superconducting and the normal states of CeCu2Si2. A clear spin excitation gap is observed in the superconducting state. We determine a lowering of the magnetic exchange energy in the superconducting state, in an amount considerably larger than the superconducting condensation energy. Our findings identify the antiferromagnetic excitations as the major driving force for superconducting pairing in this prototypical heavy-fermion compound located near an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Interplay between Fe 3d and Ce 4f magnetism and Kondo interaction in CeFeAs_{1-x}P_{x}O probed by ^{75}As and ^{31}P NMR

A detailed $^{31}$P (I=1/2) and $^{75}$As (I=3/2) NMR study on polycrystalline CeFeAs$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$O alloys is presented. The magnetism of CeFeAsO changes drastically upon P substitution on the As site. CeFePO is a heavy fermion system without long range order whereas CeFeAsO exhibits a Fe-3$d$ SDW type of ordering accompanied by a structural transition from tetragonal ($TT$) to orthorhombic ($OT$) structure. Furthermore Ce-4$f^{1}$ orders antiferromagnetically (AFM) at low temperature. At the critical concentration where the Fe-magnetism is diminished the Ce-Ce interaction changes to a ferromagnetic (FM) type of ordering. Three representative samples of the CeFeAs$_{1-x}$P$_{x}$O ($x$=0.05, 0.3 and 0.9) series are systematically investigated. 1) For the $x$=0.05 alloy a drastic change of the line width at 130 K indicates the AFM-SDW type of ordering of Fe and the structural change from $TT$ to $OT$ phase. The line width roughly measures the internal field in the ordered state and the transition is most likely first order. The small and nearly constant shift for $^{31}$P and $^{75}$As suggests the presence of competing hyperfine interactions between the nuclear spins and the 4$f$ and 3$d$ ions of Ce and Fe. 2) For the $x$=0.3 alloy, evolution of the Fe-SDW type order takes place at around 70 K corroborating the results of bulk measurement and $μSR$. Here we found strong evidence for phase separation of paramagnetic and magnetic SDW phases. 3) In contrast to heavy fermion CeFePO for the $x$=0.9 alloy a phase transition is found at 2 K. The field-dependent NMR shift gives strong evidence of FM ordering. Above the ordering the spin lattice relaxation rate $^{31}$(1/T$_{1}$) shows unconventional, non-Korringa like behaviour which indicates a complex interplay of Kondo and FM fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Electron Spin Resonance of the Yb 4f moment in Yb(Rh1-xCox)2Si2

[published in Phys. Rev. B 85, 035119 (2012)] The evolution of spin dynamics from the quantum critical system YbRh2Si2 to the stable trivalent Yb system YbCo2Si2 was investigated by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. While the Kondo temperature changes by one order of magnitude, all compositions of the single crystalline series Yb(Rh1-xCox)2Si2 show well defined ESR spectra with a clear Yb3+ character for temperatures below \approx 20 K. With increasing Co-content the ESR g-factor along the c-direction strongly increases indicating a continuous change of the ground state wave function and, thus, a continuous change of the crystal electric field. The linewidth presents a complex dependence on the Co-content and is discussed in terms of the Co-doping dependence of the Kondo interaction, the magnetic anisotropy and the influence of ferromagnetic correlations between the 4f states. The results provide evidence that, for low Co-doping, the Kondo interaction allows narrow ESR spectra despite the presence of a large magnetic anisotropy, whereas at high Co-concentrations, the linewidth is controlled by ferromagnetic correlations. A pronounced broadening due to critical correlations at low temperatures is only observed at the highest Co-content. This might be related to the presence of incommensurate magnetic fluctuations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

^31P NMR investigations on the ferromagnetic quantum critical system YbNi_4P_2

We studied the new heavy-fermion system YbNi$_{4}$P$_{2}$, which presents strong ferromagnetic correlations, using the local $^{31}$P NMR probe over a wide field (0.2-8.6 \textsf{T}) and temperature (1.8-200 K) range. $^{31}$P NMR Knight shift provides the static spin susceptibility which tracks the bulk susceptibility whereas the spin-lattice relaxation rate $^{31}(1/T_{1}$) provide information about the fluctuations of the Yb 4f moment. The Korringa law is valid over a wide range in temperature and field. The Korringa product $^{31}(1/T_{1}TK^{2}$S$_{0}$) $\ll$ 1 gives evidence for the presence of strong ferromagnetic correlations. Over two decades in temperature a $^{31}(1/T_{1}T) \sim T^{-3/4}$ behaviour was found.

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Magnetic phase diagram of YbCo2Si2 derived from magnetization measurements

We report on high-resolution dc-magnetization (M) measurements on a high-quality single crystal of YbCo2Si2. M was measured down to 0.05K and in fields up to 4T, with the magnetic field oriented along the crystallographic directions [100], [110] and [001] of the tetragonal structure.

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