arXiv subjects

Peter Thalmeier

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Thalmeier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Signatures of spin-wave dynamics in quasiparticle interference

We investigate momentum-resolved quasiparticle interference (QPI) in a localized-itinerant antiferromagnet, where ordered local moments are exchange coupled to conduction electrons. Static antiferromagnetic order reconstructs the electronic bands, while one-magnon processes further dress the quasiparticles through a momentum- and frequency-dependent self-energy. Incorporating this dynamical renormalization directly into the Born impurity scattering, we find a characteristic crossover in the QPI spectrum. Below the lower magnon-emission edge, the modification is predominantly dispersive and governed by the real part of the self-energy, whereas above this scale its imaginary part produces pronounced broadening and redistribution of the scattering intensity. The dynamical response persists beyond the upper magnon energy and is strongly asymmetric in tunneling bias for a particle--hole-asymmetric band. These results show that Fourier-transform tunneling spectroscopy can distinguish static magnetic reconstruction from dynamical spin-wave renormalization.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2026

Local moment magnon spectrum in conduction electron tunnelling

The surface tunnelling spectrum of a dual system consisting of localised moments with antiferromagnetic order coupled to conduction electrons by on-site exchange interaction is investigated. In the static approximation of the local moment order it is known that magnetic band reconstruction leads to an anomalous tunnelling spectrum at the magnetic ordering vector of local moments although the latter cannot contribute directly. In this work we consider dynamic effects by including the scattering of conduction electrons from the local moment magnon excitations. They lead to self energies and renormalisation of conduction states which in turn appreciably modify the tunnelling spectrum beyond the influence of static order, interpreted as the appearance of magnon sidebands.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Hyperfine coupling in singlet ground state magnets

The influence of hyperfine coupling to nuclear spins and of their quadrupolar splitting on the induced moment order in singlet ground state magnets is investigated. The latter are found among non-Kramers f electron compounds. Without coupling to the nuclear spins these magnets have a quantum critical point (QCP) separating paramagnetic and induced moment regime. The hyperfine interaction suppresses the QCP and leads to a gradual crossover between induced electronic and nuclear hyperfine coupling dominated magnetic order. It is shown how the critical temperature depends on the electronic and nuclear control parameters including the nuclear spin size and its possible nuclear quadrupole splitting. In particular the dependence of the specific heat on the control parameters and applied field is investigated for ferro- and antiferromagnetic order. It is shown that the three peak structure in the electronic induced moment regime gradually changes to a two-peak structure in the hyperfine coupling dominated nuclear moment order regime or for increasing field strength. Most importantly the possibility of a reentrance behaviour of magnetic order or likewise nonmonotonic critical fields due to hyperfine coupling influence is demonstrated. Finally the systematic evolution of the phase diagram under the influence of nuclear quadrupole coupling is clarified.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Magnetocalorics of singlet ground state induced moment magnets

In f-electron materials like Pr or U compounds with non-Kramers states of the f-shell the ground state may be a nonmagnetic singlet due to the action of the crystalline electric field. Nevertheless these compounds can order magnetically. They develop a ground state moment and long range order due to the spontaneous admixture of the excited state into the ground state caused by inter-site exchange. This mechanism can establish magnetic order if a control parameter exceeds a critical value defining the quantum critical point between disordered and magnetic phase. Here we investigate the magnetocaloric properties of such quantum magnets where the entropy release at low temperature is due to a competition between thermal depopulation and spontaneous order effects. We determine field and temperature dependence of specific heat for ferro- and antiferromagnetic order and also calculate the adiabatic magneto- and barocaloric cooling rates. As a model application we discuss the magnetic specific heat of the new induced ferromagnet PrIr3. Furthermore we analyze the excitation spectrum of the singlet induced moment magnets in an external field with particular emphasis on field and temperature dependence of the critical soft mode. We find that the latter is fragile and exists only at specific points in the phase diagram.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Image of helical local moment magnetic order in the STM spectrum

The surface tunneling microscope (STM) method probes the itinerant conduction electron spectrum which is influenced by the presence of collective order parameters. It may in fact be used as a tool to obtain important information about their microscopic nature, for example the gap symmetry in unconventional superconductors. Surprisingly it has been found that the STM spectrum can also identify magnetic order of completely localised electrons, e.g., incommensurate helical structure of 4f electron moments, as observed in the compound GdRu$_2$Si$_2$. This is due to the fact that the exchange coupling of conduction states to the localised subsystem reconstructs the itinerant bands which then leaves an imprint on the STM spectrum. We develop a theory based on this idea that shows firstly the appearance of STM satellite peaks at the wave vector of localised moment helical order for the pure surface. Secondly we derive the quasiparticle interference spectrum in Born approximation due to the presence of surface impurities which contains information on the reconstruction process of itinerant states caused by the localised helical order. Furthermore we show that within full $t$-matrix approach impurity bound states are also influenced by the exchange coupling to helical magnetic order.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Thermodynamics, elastic anomalies and excitations in the field induced phases of CeRh2As2

The tetragonal heavy fermion compound CeRh2As2 exhibits unconventional superconductivity accompanied by other broken symmetry phases that have been identified as presumably small moment intrinsic antiferromagnetism at low magnetic fields and induced quadrupolar order at higher in-plane fields. The latter may extend to very large pulsed-field range. The phase boundaries can be investigated by following thermodynamic anomalies like specific heat, magnetocaloric coefficient, thermal expansion and magnetostriction. We calculate their discontinuities and identify the influence of the field induced quadrupole on them. Furthermore we investigate the elastic constant anomalies which are determined by the static homogeneous quadrupolar RPA response functions. We present a calculation of these anomalies for the appropriate symmetry mode both in the disordered and ordered regime and investigate their change with applied field. In addition we consider the dynamical momentum dependent magnetic susceptibility and the associated dispersion of low energy magnetic modes and how their characteristics change across the phase boundary.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

Anisotropic magnetic and quadrupolar H-T phase diagram of CeRh2As2

The tetragonal heavy fermion compound CeRh2As2 has intriguing low temperature symmetry breaking phases whose nature is unclear. The unconventional superconducting phase is complemented by other normal state phases which presumably involve ordering of 4f electron multipoles supported by the Kramers doublets split by the tetragonal crystal electric field (CEF). The most striking aspect is the pronounced anisotropic H-T phase boundary for in-plane and out-of plane field direction. Using a localized 4f CEF model we demonstrate that its essential features can be understood as the result of competing low field easy-plane magnetic order and field-induced quadrupolar order of XY type. We present calculations based on a coupled multipole random-phase approximation (RPA) response function approach as well as a molecular field treatment in the ordered regime. We use an analytical approach for a reduced quasi-quartet model and numerical calculations for the complete CEF level scheme. We discuss the quantum critical properties as function of multipolar control parameters and explain the origin of a pronounced a-c anisotropy of the H-T phase diagram. Finally the field and temperature evolution of multipolar order parameters is derived and the high field phase diagram is predicted.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Induced quantum magnetism in CEF singlet ground state models: Thermodynamics and excitations

We present a comparative investigation of singlet ground state induced magnetism for singlet, doublet and triplet excited CEF states of non-Kramers f-electrons relevant primarily for Pr- and U- based compounds. This type of magnetic order is of intrinsic quantum nature because it requires the superposition of singlet ground state with excited states due to non-diagonal matrix elements of the effective intersite exchange to generate local moments. In contrast to conventional magnets the local moments and their ordering appear simultaneously at the transition temperature. It is finite only if the control parameter proportional to the ratio of exchange strength to level splitting exceeds a critical value marking the quantum critical point of the models. We determine the dependence of transition temperature, saturation moment, renormalised level splitting, specific heat jumps and low-temperature susceptibility as function of control parameter. Furthermore the temperature dependence of these quantities is calculated for control parameters above and below the quantum critical point and the distinction to conventional magnetism is discussed. In addition we investigate the dynamical properties of the three models, deriving the magnetic exciton dispersion and their critical behaviour. In particular the conditions for true and arrested soft-mode behaviour at the ordering wave vector are identified.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Fe substitution in URu$_2$Si$_2$: singlet magnetism in an extended Doniach phase diagram

The application of pressure as well as the successive substitution of Ru with Fe in the hidden order (HO) compound URu$_2$Si$_2$ leads to the formation of the large moment antiferromagnetic phase (LMAFM). Here we have investigated the substitution series URu$_{2-x}$Fe$_x$Si$_2$ from $x$\,=\,0.0 to 2.0 by U\,4$f$ core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and have observed non-monotonic changes in the spectra. The initial increase and subsequent decrease of the spectral weight of the 4$f$ core level satellite with increasing $x$ stands for a non-monotonic 5$f$ filling across the substitution series. The competition of chemical pressure and increase of the density of states at the Fermi energy, both due to substitution of Ru with Fe, can explain such a behavior. An extended Doniach phase diagram including the $x$ dependence of the density of states is proposed. Also in URu$_{2-x}$Fe$_x$Si$_2$ the ground state is a singlet or quasi-doublet state consisting of two singlets. Hence, the formation of magnetic order in the URu$_{2-x}$Fe$_x$Si$_2$ substitution series must be explained within a singlet magnetism model.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Singlet magnetism in intermetallic UGa$_2$ unveiled by inelastic x-ray scattering

Using high resolution tender-x-ray resonant inelastic scattering and hard-x-ray non-resonant inelastic scattering beyond the dipole limit we were able to detect electronic excitations in intermetallic UGa$_2$ that are highly atomic in nature. Analysis of the spectral lineshape reveals that the local $5f^2$ configuration characterizes the correlated nature of this ferromagnet. The orientation and directional dependence of the spectra indicate that the ground state is made of the $\Gamma_1$ singlet and/or $\Gamma_6$ doublet symmetry. With the ordered moment in the $ab$ plane, we infer that the magnetism originates from the higher lying $\Gamma_6$ doublet being mixed with the $\Gamma_1$ singlet due to inter-site exchange, qualifying UGa$_2$ to be a true quantum magnet. The ability to observe atomic excitations is crucial to resolve the on-going debate about the degree of localization versus itineracy in U intermetallics.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2023

Topological paramagnetic excitons of localized f electrons on the honeycomb lattice

We investigate the dispersive paramagnetic excitons on the honeycomb lattice that originate from the crystalline-electric field (CEF) split localized f-electron states in the paramagnetic state due to intersite exchange. We start with a symmetry analysis of possible Ising-type singlet-singlet and xy-type singlet-doublet models. The former supports only symmetric intersite-exchange while the latter additionally allows for antisymmetric Dzyaloshinski-Moriya (DM) exchange interactions. We calculate the closed expressions for magnetic exciton dispersion using both response function formalism and the bosonic Bogoliubov approach. We do this for the most general model that shows inversion symmetry breaking on the honeycomb lattice but also discuss interesting special cases. By calculating Berry curvatures and Chern numbers of paramagnetic excitons we show that the xy model supports nontrivial topological states in a wide range of parameters. This leads to the existence of excitonic topological edge states with Dirac dispersion lying in the zone boundary gap without the presence of magnetic order.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2022

Magnetic excitations in the helical Rashba superconductor

We investigate the magnetic excitation spectrum in the helical state of a noncentrosymmetric superconductor with inversion symmetry breaking and strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling. For this purpose, we derive the general expressions of the dynamical spin response functions under the presence of strong Rashba splitting of conduction bands, superconducting gap, and external field which lead to stabilization of Cooper pairs with finite overall momentum in a helical state. The latter is characterized by momentum space regions of paired and unpaired states with different quasiparticle dispersions. The magnetic response is determined by i) excitations within and between both paired and unpaired regions ii) anomalous coherence factors and iii) additional spin matrix elements due to helical Rashba spin texture of bands. We show that as a consequence typical correlated real space and spin space anisotropies appear in the dynamical susceptibility which would be observable as a characteristic fingerprint for a helical superconducting state in inelastic neutron scattering investigations.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Dynamical magnetic response in superconductors with finite momentum pairs

We derive the dynamical magnetic response functions in the Fulde-Ferrell (FF) state of a superconductor with inversion symmetry. The pair momentum 2q is obtained by minimization of the condensation energy and the resulting quasiparticle states and spectral functions exhibit the segmentation into paired and unpaired regions due to the finite q. The dynamical magnetic susceptibility is then calculated in linear response formalism in the FF state with finite-q condensate resulting from s-wave or d-wave pairing. We show that quasiparticle excitations inside as well as between paired and unpaired segments contribute to the dynamical response. We discuss its dependence on frequency and momentum transfer which develops a characteristic symmetry-breaking parallel to q. Furthermore, we investigate the possible influence on Knight shift and in the case of d-wave pairing on the spin resonance formation in the FF state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Fermi surface segmentation in the helical state of a Rashba superconductor

We investigate the quasiparticle excitations in the FFLO- type helical state of a superconductor with inversion-symmetry breaking and strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We restrict to a state with single finite momentum of Cooper pairs in the helical phase that is determined by minimization of the condensation energy. We derive the dependence of quasiparticle dispersions on the Rashba coupling strength and external field. It leads to a peculiar momentum-space segmentation of the corresponding Rashba Fermi surface sheets which has not yet been observed experimentally. We show that it may be directly visualized by the method of quasiparticle interference that identifies the critical points of the segmented sheets and can map their evolution with field strength, bias voltage and Rashba coupling. We also indicate a strategy how to determine the finite Cooper-pair momentum from experimental quantities. This investigation has the potential for a more detailed microscopic understanding of the helical superconducting state under the influence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Surface step states and Majorana end states in profiled topological insulator thin films

The protected helical surface states in thin films of topological insulators (TI) are subject to inter-surface hybridisation. This leads to gap opening and spin texture changes as witnessed in photoemission and quasiparticle interference investigations. Theoretical studies show that universally the hybridisation energy exhibits exponential decay as well as sign oscillations as a function of film thickness, depending on the effective band parameters of the material. When a step is introduced in the TI film e.g. by profiling the substrate such that the hybridisation has different signs on both sides of the step, 1D bound states appear within the hybridisation gap which decay exponentially with distance from the step. The step bound states have linear dispersion and inherit the helical spin locking from the surface states and are therefore non-degenerate. When the substrate becomes an s-wave superconductor Majorana zero modes located at the step ends are created inside the superconducting gap. The proposed scenario involves just a suitably stepped interface of superconductor and TI and therefore may be a most simple device being able to host Majorana zero modes.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Induced order and collective excitations in three-singlet quantum magnets

The quantum magnetism in a three-singlet model (TSM) with singlet crystalline electric field (CEF) states interacting on a lattice is investigated, motivated by its appearance in compounds with 4f^2 and 5f^2 electronic structure. Contrary to conventional (semi-classical) magnetism there are no preformed moments above the ordering temperature Tm. They appear spontaneously as induced or excitonic moments due to singlet-singlet mixing at Tm. In most cases the transition is of second order, however for large matrix elements between the excited states it turns into a first order transition at a critical point. Furthermore we derive the excitonic mode spectrum and its quantum critical soft mode behaviour which leads to the criticality condition for induced order as expressed in terms of the control parameters of the TSM and discuss the distinctions to the previously known two-singlet case. We also derive the temperature dependence of order parameters for second and first order transitions and the exciton spectrum in the induced magnetic phase.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Dual nature of 5$f$ electrons in the isostructural UM$_2$Si$_2$ family: from antiferro- to Pauli paramagnetism via hidden order

Using inelastic x-ray scattering beyond the dipole limit and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy we establish the dual nature of the U $5f$ electrons in UM$_2$Si$_2$ (M = Pd, Ni, Ru, Fe), regardless of their degree of delocalization. We have observed that the compounds have in common a local atomic-like state that is well described by the U $5f^2$ configuration with the $Γ_1^{(1)}$ and $Γ_2$ quasi-doublet symmetry. The amount of the U 5$f^3$ configuration, however, varies considerably across the UM$_2$Si$_2$ series, indicating an increase of U5$f$ itineracy in going from M=Pd to Ni to Ru, and to the Fe compound. The identified electronic states explain the formation of the very large ordered magnetic moments in UPd$_2$Si$_2$ and UNi$_2$Si$_2$, the availability of orbital degrees of freedom needed for the hidden order in URu$_2$Si$_2$ to occur, as well as the appearance of Pauli paramagnetism in UFe$_2$Si$_2$. A unified and systematic picture of the U$M_2$Si$_2$ compounds may now be drawn, thereby providing suggestions for new experiments to induce hidden order and/or superconductivity in U compounds with the tetragonal body-centered ThCr$_2$Si$_2$ structure.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2020

Gapped Dirac cones and spin texture in thin film topological insulator

The protected surface states of topological insulators (TIs) form gapless Dirac cones corresponding non-degenerate eigenstates with helical spin polarisation. The presence of a warping term deforms the isotropic cone of the most simple model into snowflake Fermi surfaces as in Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3. Their features have been identified in STM quasiparticle interference (QPI) experiments on isolated surfaces. Here we investigate the QPI spectrum for the TI thin-film geometry with finite tunnelling between the surface states. This leads to a dramatic change of spectrum due to gapping and a change in spin texture that should leave distinct signatures in the QPI pattern. We consider both normal and magnetic exchange scattering from the surface impurities and obtain the scattering t-matrix in Born approximation as well as the general closed solution. We show the expected systematic variation of QPI snowflake intensity features by varying film thickness and study, in particular, the influence on backscattering processes. We predict the variation of the QPI spectrum for Bi2Se3 thin films using the observed gap dependence from ARPES results.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗