Rebecca Flint — Page 3

arXiv2008

Symplectic N and time reversal in frustrated magnetism

Identifying the time reversal symmetry of spins as a symplectic symmetry, we develop a large N approximation for quantum magnetism that embraces both antiferromagnetism and ferromagnetism. In SU(N), N>2, not all spins invert under time reversal, so we have introduced a new large N treatment which builds interactions exclusively out of the symplectic subgroup [SP(N)] of time reversing spins, a more stringent condition than the symplectic symmetry of previous SP(N) large N treatments. As a result, we obtain a mean field theory that incorporates the energy cost of frustrated bonds. When applied to the frustrated square lattice, the ferromagnetic bonds restore the frustration dependence of the critical spin in the Neel phase, and recover the correct frustration dependence of the finite temperature Ising transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Heavy electrons and the symplectic symmetry of spin

The recent discovery of two heavy fermion materials PuCoGa_{5} and NpPd_{5}Al_{2} which transform directly from Curie paramagnets into superconductors, reveals a new class of superconductor where local moments quench directly into a superconducting condensate. A powerful tool in the description of heavy fermion metals is the large N expansion, which expands the physics in powers of 1/N about a solvable limit where particles carry a large number (N) of spin components. As it stands, this method is unable to jointly describe the spin quenching and superconductivity which develop in PuCoGa_{5} and NpPd_{5}Al_{2}. Here, we solve this problem with a new class of large N expansion that employs the symplectic symmetry of spin to protect the odd time-reversal parity of spin and sustain Cooper pairs as well-defined singlets. With this method we show that when a lattice of magnetic ions exchange spin with their metallic environment in two distinct symmetry channels, they are able to simultaneously satisfy both channels by forming a condensate of composite pairs between between local moments and electrons. In the tetragonal crystalline environment relevant to PuCoGa_{5} and NpPd_{5}Al_{2} the lattice structure selects a natural pair of spin exchange channels, giving rise to the prediction of a unique anisotropic paired state with g-wave symmetry. This pairing mechanism predicts a large upturn in the NMR relaxation rate above T_{c}, a strong enhancement of Andreev reflection in tunneling measurements and an enhanced superconducting transition temperature T_{c} in Pu doped Np_{1-x}Pu_{x}Pd_{5}Al_{2}.

cond-mat.str-el↗