arXiv subjects

T. E. Albrecht-Schmitt

Publications and source records attributed to T. E. Albrecht-Schmitt.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

${}^{239}$Pu nuclear magnetic resonance in the candidate topological insulator PuB$_4$

We present a detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of ${}^{239}$Pu in bulk and powdered single-crystal plutonium tetraboride (PuB$_4$), which has recently been investigated as a potential correlated topological insulator. This study constitutes the second-ever observation of the ${}^{239}$Pu NMR signal, and provides unique on-site sensitivity to the rich $f$-electron physics and insight into the bulk gap-like behavior in PuB$_4$. The ${}^{239}$Pu NMR spectra are consistent with axial symmetry of the shift tensor showing for the first time that ${}^{239}$Pu NMR can be observed in an anisotropic environment and up to room temperature. The temperature dependence of the ${}^{239}$Pu shift, combined with a relatively long spin-lattice relaxation time ($T_1$), indicate that PuB$_4$ adopts a non-magnetic state with gap-like behavior consistent with our density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The temperature dependencies of the NMR Knight shift and $T_1^{-1}$--microscopic quantities sensitive only to bulk states--imply bulk gap-like behavior confirming that PuB$_4$ is a good candidate topological insulator. The large contrast between the ${}^{239}$Pu orbital shifts in the ionic insulator PuO$_2$ ($\sim$~+24.7~\%) and PuB$_4$ ($\sim$~-0.5~\%) provides a new tool to investigate the nature of chemical bonding in plutonium materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2018

Ferromagnetic Quantum Critical Point in CePd$_2$P$_2$ with Pd $\rightarrow$ Ni Substitution

An investigation of the structural, thermodynamic, and electronic transport properties of the isoelectronic chemical substitution series Ce(Pd$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$P$_2$ is reported, where a possible ferromagnetic quantum critical point is uncovered in the temperature - concentration ($T-x$) phase diagram. This behavior results from the simultaneous contraction of the unit cell volume, which tunes the relative strengths of the Kondo and RKKY interactions, and the introduction of disorder through alloying. Near the critical region at $x_{\rm{cr}}$ $\approx$ 0.7, the rate of contraction of the unit cell volume strengthens, indicating that the cerium $f$-valence crosses over from trivalent to a non-integer value. Consistent with this picture, x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that while CePd$_2$P$_2$ has a purely trivalent cerium $f$-state, CeNi$_2$P$_2$ has a small ($<$ 10 \%) tetravalent contribution. In a broad region around $x_{\rm{cr}}$, there is a breakdown of Fermi liquid temperature dependences, signaling the influence of quantum critical fluctuations and disorder effects. Measurements of clean CePd$_2$P$_2$ furthermore show that applied pressure has a similar initial effect to alloying on the ferromagnetic order. From these results, CePd$_2$P$_2$ emerges as a keystone system to test theories such as the Belitz-Kirkpatrick-Vojta model for ferromagnetic quantum criticality, where distinct behaviors are expected in the dirty and clean limits.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2017

Possible devil's staircase in the Kondo lattice CeSbSe

The temperature ($T$) - magnetic field ($H$) phase diagram for the tetragonal layered compound CeSbSe, is determined from magnetization, specific heat, and electrical resistivity measurements. This system exhibits complex magnetic ordering at $T_{\rm{M}}$ $=$ 3 K and the application of a magnetic field results in a cascade of magnetically ordered states for $H$ $\lesssim$ 1.8 T which are characterized by fractional integer size steps: i.e., a possible Devil's staircase is observed. Electrical transport measurements show a weak temperature dependence and large residual resistivity which suggest a small charge carrier density and strong scattering from the $f$-moments. These features reveal Kondo lattice behavior where the $f$-moments are incompletely screened, resulting in a fine balanced magnetic interaction between different Ce neighbors that is mediated by the RKKY interaction. This produces the nearly degenerate magnetically ordered states that are accessed under an applied magnetic field.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Unfolding the physics of URu2Si2 through Si -> P substitution

The heavy fermion intermetallic compound URu2Si2 exhibits a "hidden-order" phase below the temperature of 17.5 K, which supports both anomalous metallic behavior and unconventional superconductivity. While these individual phenomena have been investigated in detail, it remains unclear how they are related to each other and to what extent uranium f-electron valence fluctuations influence each one. Here we use ligand site substituted URu2Si2-xPx to establish their evolution under electronic tuning. We find that while hidden order is monotonically suppressed and destroyed for x $\leq$ 0.035, the superconducting strength evolves through a dome that is centered near $x$ $\approx$ 0.01 and terminates near $x$ $\approx$ 0.028. This behavior reveals that hidden order depends strongly on tuning outside of the U f-electron shells. It also suggests that while hidden order provides an environment for superconductivity and anomalous metallic behavior, it's fluctuations are not solely responsible for their progression.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Magnetism and electron spin resonance in single crystalline beta-AgNpO2(SeO3)

We report magnetization, susceptibility, electrical transport, and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies of single crystals of beta-AgNpO2(SeO3). Here the valence of the Np sites is expected to be Np(V). We observe a magnetic transition below 8 K, where the transition temperature is dependent on the effective magnetic moment. Although the transition appears to be ferromagnetic, no hysteresis is seen in the magnetization, and the saturation moment above 0.1 T is found to be about 60% of the free NpO2 ion moment. The decrease in the Np moments determined experimentally is thought to arise from crystal field and spin-orbit effects. Although Np(V) is expected to be ESR silent, we observe temperature dependent ESR spectra at ~44 GHz (for fields above the saturation field) that show slight shifts in the g-factor and line width at low temperatures. Our results provide evidence that both Np(V) and Np(IV) valences are present, where the latter may be a minority population. The crystals, although dark in appearance, are electrically insulating (rho > 10^10 Ohm-cm) at room temperature.

cond-mat.other↗