arXiv subjects

Franziska Breitner

Publications and source records attributed to Franziska Breitner.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Magnetic and electric properties of the metallic kagome antiferromagnet CrRhAs

CrRhAs is an antiferromagnetic kagome metal predicted to host a nontrivial spin texture with vector spin chirality [Huang \textit{et al.}, \textit{npj Quantum Mater.} \textbf{8}, 32 (2023)]. We report the synthesis and basic characterization of CrRhAs single crystals, which exhibit an antiferromagnetic transition with $T_{\rm N}$ = 150~K, evidenced by electrical transport, heat capacity, and magnetization measurements. Hall resistivity varies linearly with magnetic field, i.e., there is no nonlinear Hall contribution. Intriguingly, the Hall coefficient changes sign between the configurations of $j \parallel ab, H \perp ab$ and $j \parallel c, H \perp c$, which is likely connected to a peculiar topology of the Fermi surface. Furthermore, for $j \parallel ab$, the Hall coefficient shows a pronounced and continuous enhancement below $T_{\rm N}$, signaling a significant reconstruction of the Fermi surface or an extra scattering from the magnons. Our results offer guidance for exploring anomalous electric transport phenomena in exotic magnetic systems.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Pressure-induced strange metal phase in a metallic kagome ferromagnet

Strange metallicity with $T$-linear electrical resistance preceding high-$T_c$ superconductivity remains an enigmatic, yet crucial, signature of correlation physics. Using electrical transport and magnetization measurements up to 50 GPa, we show that such a strange-metal phase is formed in pressurized kagome ferromagnet CrNiAs. In contrast to other kagome materials, a linear suppression of the Curie temperature is found, with the ferromagnetic quantum critical point at $p_{\rm{c}} \approx 12.5$ GPa. Remarkably, from $p_{\rm{c}}$ up to the highest measured pressure, characteristic strange-metal behavior is observed, whereas magnetic field reinstates the Fermi liquid. Electronic structure calculations reveal robust weakly dispersive bands persisting unchanged beyond $p_{\rm{c}}$, possibly at the origin of the $T$-linear electrical resistance. This establishes pressurized kagome ferromagnets as an intriguing platform for strange-metal behavior.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Strong enhancement of magnetic coercivity induced by uniaxial stress

The performance of permanent magnets is intricately tied to their magnetic hysteresis loop. In this study, we investigate the heavy-fermion ferromagnet CeAgSb$_2$ through magnetization measurements under uniaxial stress. We observe a 2400 % increase in magnetic coercivity with just a modest stress of approximately 1 kbar. This effect persists even after pressure release, attributable to stress-induced defects that efficiently pin domain walls. Other magnetic properties such as ordering temperature and saturation moment exhibit only weak pressure dependencies and display full reversibility. Our findings offer a promising route for increasing coercive field strength and enhancing the energy product in ferromagnetic materials and are potentially applicable to a broad spectrum of commercial or emerging magnetic applications.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Structural and magnetic properties of $\beta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ after grazing-angle focused ion beam thinning

Manipulating the size and orientation of quantum materials is often used to tune emergent phenomena, but precise control of these parameters is also necessary from an experimental point of view. Various synthesis techniques already exist, such as epitaxial thin film growth and chemical etching, that are capable of producing specific sample dimensions with high precision. However, certain materials exist as single crystals that are often difficult to manipulate, thereby limiting their studies to a certain subset of experimental techniques. One particular class of these materials are the lithium and sodium iridates that are promising candidates for hosting a Kitaev quantum spin liquid state. Here we present a controlled method of using a focused ion beam at grazing incidence to reduce the size of a $\beta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ single crystal to a thickness of 1 $\mu m$. Subsequent x-ray diffraction measurements show the lattice remains intact, albeit with a larger mosaic spread. The integrity of the magnetic order is also preserved as the temperature dependent magnetic diffraction peak follows the same trend as its bulk counterpart with a transition temperature at TN = 37.5 K. Our study demonstrates a technique that opens up the possibility of nonequilibrium experiments where submicron thin samples are often essential.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Pressure-induced dimerization and collapse of antiferromagnetism in the Kitaev material $α$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$

We present magnetization measurements carried out on polycrystalline and single-crystalline samples of $α$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ under hydrostatic pressures up to 2 GPa and establish the temperature-pressure phase diagram of this material. The Néel temperature ($T_{\rm{N}}$) of $α$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ is slightly enhanced upon compression with $dT_{\rm{N}}/dp$ = 1.5 K/GPa. Above 1.2 GPa, $α$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ undergoes a first-order phase transition toward a nonmagnetic dimerized phase, with no traces of the magnetic phase observed above 1.8 GPa at low temperatures. The critical pressure of the structural dimerization is strongly temperature-dependent. This temperature dependence is well reproduced on the ab initio level by taking into account lower phonon entropy in the nonmagnetic phase. We further show that the initial increase in $T_{\rm{N}}$ of the magnetic phase is due to a weakening of the Kitaev interaction $K$ along with the enhancement of the Heisenberg term $J$ and off-diagonal anisotropy $Γ$. Our study reveals a common thread in the interplay of magnetism and dimerization in pressured Kitaev materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗