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$\mathrm{Ce}{\mathrm{Rh}}_{6}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{4}$ is an unusual example of a stoichiometric heavy fermion ferromagnet, which can be cleanly tuned by hydrostatic pressure to a quantum critical point. To understand the origin of this anomalous behavior, we have characterized the magnetic ordering and crystalline electric field (CEF) scheme of this system. While magnetic Bragg peaks are not resolved in neutron powder diffraction, coherent oscillations are observed in zero-field $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{SR}$ below ${T}_{\mathrm{C}}$, which are consistent with in-plane ferromagnetic ordering consisting of reduced Ce moments. From analyzing the magnetic susceptibility and inelastic neutron scattering, we propose a CEF-level scheme which accounts for the easy-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy, where the low lying first excited CEF exhibits significantly stronger hybridization than the ground state. These results suggest that the orbital anisotropy of the ground state and low-lying excited state doublets are important for realizing anisotropic electronic coupling between the $f$ and conduction electrons, which gives rise to the highly anisotropic hybridization observed in photoemission experiments.

The superconducting order parameter of the first heavy-fermion superconductor ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ is currently under debate. A key ingredient to understand its superconductivity and physical properties is the quasiparticle dispersion and Fermi surface, which remains elusive experimentally. Here, we present measurements from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results emphasize the key role played by the Ce $4f$ electrons for the low-temperature Fermi surface, highlighting a band-dependent conduction-$f$ electron hybridization. In particular, we find a very heavy quasi-two-dimensional electron band near the bulk $X$ point and moderately heavy three-dimensional hole pockets near the $Z$ point. Comparison with theoretical calculations reveals the strong local correlation in this compound, calling for further theoretical studies. Our results provide the electronic basis to understand the heavy-fermion behavior and superconductivity; implications for the enigmatic superconductivity of this compound are also discussed.

Heavy fermion compounds exhibiting a ferromagnetic quantum critical point have attracted considerable interest. Common to two known cases, i.e., CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} and YbNi_{4}P_{2}, is that the 4f moments reside along chains with a large interchain distance, exhibiting strong magnetic anisotropy that was proposed to be vital for the ferromagnetic quantum criticality. Here, we report an angle-resolved photoemission study on CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} in which we observe sharp momentum-dependent 4f bands and clear bending of the conduction bands near the Fermi level, indicating considerable hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons. The extracted hybridization strength is anisotropic in momentum space and is obviously stronger along the Ce chain direction.The hybridized 4f bands persist up to high temperatures, and the evolution of their intensity shows clear band dependence. Our results provide spectroscopic evidence for anisotropic hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons in CeRh_{6}Ge_{4}, which could be important for understanding the electronic origin of the ferromagnetic quantum criticality.

We present thermopower measurements on Yb( $$\hbox {Rh}_{1-x}\hbox {Co}_x$$ ) $$_2\hbox {Si}_2$$ . Upon cobalt substitution, the Kondo temperature is decreasing and the single large thermopower minimum observed for $$\hbox {YbRh}_2\hbox {Si}_2$$ splits into two minima. Simultaneously, the absolute thermopower values are strongly reduced due to a weaker exchange coupling between the 4f and the conduction electron states with increasing x. Pure $$\hbox {YbCo}_2\hbox {Si}_2$$ is considered a stable trivalent system. Nevertheless, we still observe two minima in the thermopower indicative of weak residual Kondo scattering. This is in line with results from photoemission spectroscopy revealing a tiny contribution from $$\hbox {Yb}^{2+}$$ . The value at the high-T minimum in S(T) is found to be proportional to the Sommerfeld coefficient for the whole series. This unexpected finding is discussed in relation to recent measurements of the valence and Fermi surface evolution with temperature.

Ferromagnetic quantum critical points were predicted to be prohibited in clean itinerant ferromagnetic systems, yet such a phenomenon was recently revealed in CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$, where the Curie temperature can be continuously suppressed to zero under a moderate hydrostatic pressure. Here we report the observation of quantum oscillations in CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$ from measurements using the cantilever and tunnel-diode oscillator methods in fields up to 45 T, clearly demonstrating that the ferromagnetic quantum criticality occurs in a clean system. In order to map the Fermi surface of CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$, we performed angle-dependent measurements of quantum oscillations at ambient pressure, and compared the results to density functional theory calculations. The results are consistent with the Ce 4f electrons remaining localized, and not contributing to the Fermi surface, suggesting that localized ferromagnetism is a key factor for the occurrence of a ferromagnetic quantum critical point in CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures

Heavy fermion compounds exhibiting a ferromagnetic quantum critical point have attracted considerable interest. Common to two known cases, i.e., CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} and YbNi_{4}P_{2}, is that the 4f moments reside along chains with a large interchain distance, exhibiting strong magnetic anisotropy that was proposed to be vital for the ferromagnetic quantum criticality. Here, we report an angle-resolved photoemission study on CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} in which we observe sharp momentum-dependent 4f bands and clear bending of the conduction bands near the Fermi level, indicating considerable hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons. The extracted hybridization strength is anisotropic in momentum space and is obviously stronger along the Ce chain direction.The hybridized 4f bands persist up to high temperatures, and the evolution of their intensity shows clear band dependence. Our results provide spectroscopic evidence for anisotropic hybridization between conduction and 4f electrons in CeRh_{6}Ge_{4}, which could be important for understanding the electronic origin of the ferromagnetic quantum criticality.

The superconducting order parameter of the first heavy-fermion superconductor CeCu_{2}Si_{2} is currently under debate. A key ingredient to understand its superconductivity and physical properties is the quasiparticle dispersion and Fermi surface, which remains elusive experimentally. Here, we present measurements from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our results emphasize the key role played by the Ce 4f electrons for the low-temperature Fermi surface, highlighting a band-dependent conduction-f electron hybridization. In particular, we find a very heavy quasi-two-dimensional electron band near the bulk X point and moderately heavy three-dimensional hole pockets near the Z point. Comparison with theoretical calculations reveals the strong local correlation in this compound, calling for further theoretical studies. Our results provide the electronic basis to understand the heavy-fermion behavior and superconductivity; implications for the enigmatic superconductivity of this compound are also discussed.

The crystal-field ground state wave function of CeCu$_2$Si$_2$ has been investigated with linear polarized $M$-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy from 250mK to 250K, thus covering the superconducting ($T_{\text{c}}$=0.6K), the Kondo ($T_{\text{K}}$$\approx$20K) as well as the Curie-Weiss regime. The comparison with full-multiplet calculations shows that the temperature dependence of the experimental linear dichroism is well explained with a $\Gamma_7^{(1)}$ crystal-field ground-state and the thermal population of excited states at around 30meV. The crystal-field scheme does not change throughout the entire temperature range thus making the scenario of orbital switching unlikely. Spectroscopic evidence for the presence of the Ce 4$f^0$ configuration in the ground state is consistent with the possibility for a multi-orbital character of the ground state. We estimate from the Kondo temperature and crystal-field splitting energies that several percents of the higher lying $\Gamma_6$ state and $\Gamma_7^{(2)}$ crystal-field states are mixed into the primarily $\Gamma_7^{(1)}$ ground state. This estimate is also supported by re-normalized band-structure calculations that uses the experimentally determined crystal-field scheme., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures

Thermoelectric (TE) conversion in conducting materials is of eminent importance for providing renewable energy and solid-state cooling. Although traditionally, the Seebeck effect plays a key role for the TE figure of merit zST, it encounters fundamental constraints hindering its conversion efficiency. Most notably, there are the charge compensation of electrons and holes that diminishes this effect, and the intertwinement of the corresponding electrical and thermal conductivities through the Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law which makes their independent optimization in zST impossible. Here, we demonstrate that in the Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 the Nernst effect, i.e., the transverse counterpart of the Seebeck effect, can generate a large TE figure of merit zNT. At room temperature, zNT = 0.5 in a small field of 2 T; it significantly surmounts its longitudinal counterpart zST for any field and further increases upon warming. A large Nernst effect is generically expected in topological semimetals, benefiting from both the bipolar transport of compensated electrons and holes and their high mobilities. In this case, heat and charge transport are orthogonal, i.e., not intertwined by the WF law anymore. More importantly, further optimization of zNT by tuning the Fermi level to the Dirac node can be anticipated due to not only the enhanced bipolar transport, but also the anomalous Nernst effect arising from a pronounced Berry curvature. A combination of the former topologically trivial and the latter nontrivial advantages promises to open a new avenue towards high-efficient transverse thermoelectricity.

Materials where the electronic bands have unusual topologies allow for the realization of novel physics and have a wide range of potential applications. When two electronic bands with linear dispersions intersect at a point, the excitations could be described as Weyl fermions which are massless particles with a particular chirality. Here we report evidence for the presence of Weyl fermions in the ferromagnetic state of the low-carrier density, strongly correlated Kondo lattice system CeSb, from electronic structure calculations and angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements. When the applied magnetic field is parallel to the electric current, a pronounced negative magnetoresistance is observed within the ferromagnetic state, which is destroyed upon slightly rotating the field away. These results give evidence for CeSb belonging to a new class of Kondo lattice materials with Weyl fermions in the ferromagnetic state., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary Information available from journal link (open access)

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and resonant ARPES, we report evidence of strong anisotropic conduction-$f$ electron mixing ($c\text{\ensuremath{-}}f$ mixing) in CeBi by observing a largely expanded Ce $5d$ pocket at low temperature, with no change in the Bi $6p$ bands. The anisotropic Fermi surface (FS) expansion is accompanied by a pronounced spectral weight transfer from the local $4{f}^{0}$ peak of Ce (corresponding to $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{e}}^{3+}$) to the itinerant conduction bands near the Fermi level. Careful analysis suggests that the observed large FS change (with a volume expansion of the electron pocket up to 40%) can most naturally be explained by a small valence change $(\ensuremath{\sim}1%)$ of Ce, which coexists with a very weak Kondo screening. Our work therefore provides evidence for a FS change driven by real charge fluctuations deep in the Kondo limit, which is highly dependent on the orbital character and momentum and is made possible by the low carrier density.

The strange metal phases found to develop in a wide range of materials near a quantum critical point (QCP), have posed a long-standing mystery. The frequent association of strange metals with unconventional superconductivity and antiferromagnetic QCPs has led to a belief that they are highly entangled quantum states. Ferromagnets, by contrast are regarded as an unlikely setting for strange metals, for they are weakly entangled and their QCPs are often interrupted by competing phases or first order phase transitions. Here, we provide compelling evidence that the stoichiometric heavy fermion ferromagnet CeRh$_6$Ge$_4$ becomes a strange metal at a pressure-induced QCP: specific heat and resistivity measurements demonstrate that the FM transition is continuously suppressed to zero temperature revealing a strange metal phase. We argue that strong magnetic anisotropy plays a key role in this process,injecting entanglement, in the form of triplet resonating valence bonds (tRVBs) into the ordered ferromagnet. We show that the singular transformation from tRVBs into Kondo singlets that occurs at the QCP causes a jump in the Fermi surface volume: a key driver of strange metallic behavior. Our results open up a new direction for research into FM quantum criticality, while also establishing an important new setting for the strange metal problem. Most importantly, strange metallic behavior at a FM quantum critical point suggests that it is quantum entanglement rather than the destruction of antiferromagnetism that is the common driver of the many varied examples of strange metallic behavior., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, Supplementary Information available upon request. The manuscript is the original submitted version, the revised version is accepted by Nature

Yb(Rh_{1-x}Co_{x})_{2}Si_{2} is a model system to address two challenging problems in the field of strongly correlated electron systems. The first is the intriguing competition between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) order when approaching a magnetic quantum critical point (QCP). The second is the occurrence of magnetic order along a very hard crystalline electric field (CEF) direction, i.e., along the one with the smallest available magnetic moment. Here, we present a detailed study of the evolution of the magnetic order in this system from a FM state with moments along the very hard c direction at x=0.27 towards the yet unknown magnetic state at x=0. We first observe a transition towards an AFM canted state with decreasing x and then to a pure AFM state. This confirms that the QCP in YbRh_{2}Si_{2} is AFM, but the phase diagram is very similar to those observed in some inherently FM systems like NbFe_{2} and CeRuPO, which suggests that the basic underlying instability might be FM. Despite the huge CEF anisotropy the ordered moment retains a component along the c axis also in the AFM state. The huge CEF anisotropy in Yb(Rh_{1-x}Co_{x})_{2}Si_{2} excludes that this hard-axis ordering originates from a competing exchange anisotropy as often proposed for other heavy-fermion systems. Instead, it points to an order-by-disorder based mechanism.

The Kondo-lattice compound CeRhIn$_5$ displays a field-induced Fermi surface reconstruction at $B^*\approx30$ T, which occurs within the antiferromagnetic state, prior to the quantum critical point at $B_{c0}\approx50$ T. Here, in order to investigate the nature of the Fermi surface change, we measured the magnetostriction, specific heat, and magnetic torque of CeRhIn$_5$ across a wide range of magnetic fields. Our observations uncover the field-induced itineracy of the $4f$ electrons, where above $B_{\rm onset}\approx17$ T there is a significant enhancement of the Sommerfeld coefficient, and spin-dependent effective cyclotron masses determined from quantum oscillations. Upon crossing $B_{\rm onset}$, the temperature dependence of the specific heat also shows distinctly different behavior from that at low fields. Our results indicate that the Kondo coupling is remarkably robust upon increasing the magnetic field. This is ascribed to the delocalization of the $4f$ electrons at the Fermi surface reconstruction at $B^*$., 7 pages, 4 figures

Strange-metal phenomena often develop at the border of antiferromagnetic order in strongly correlated metals. It has been well established that they can originate from the fluctuations anchored by the point of continuous quantum phase transition out of the antiferromagnetic order, i.e., a quantum critical point. What has been unclear is how these phenomena can be associated with a potential new phase of matter at zero temperature. Here we show that magnetic frustration of the 4f-local moments in the distorted Kagome intermetallic compound CePdAl gives rise to such a paramagnetic quantum-critical phase. Moreover, we demonstrate that this phase turns into a Fermi liquid through a Mott-like crossover; in a two-dimensional parameter space of pressure and magnetic field, this crossover is linked to a line of zero-temperature 4f-electron localization-delocalization phase transitions at low and moderate pressures. Our discovery motivates a new design principle for strongly correlated metallic states with unconventional excitations that may underlie the development of such effects as high temperature superconductivity., Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures

The impact of nonmagnetic and magnetic impurities on topological insulators is a central focus concerning their fundamental physics and possible spintronics and quantum computing applications. Combining scanning tunneling spectroscopy with transport measurements, we investigate, both locally and globally, the effect of nonmagnetic and magnetic substituents in SmB6, a predicted topological Kondo insulator. Around the so-introduced substitutents and in accord with theoretical predictions, the surface states are locally suppressed with different length scales depending on the substituent's magnetic properties. For sufficiently high substituent concentrations, these states are globally destroyed. Similarly, using a magnetic tip in tunneling spectroscopy also resulted in largely suppressed surface states. Hence, a destruction of the surface states is always observed close to atoms with substantial magnetic moment. This points to the topological nature of the surface states in SmB6 and illustrates how magnetic impurities destroy the surface states from microscopic to macroscopic length scales.

SmB$_6$, a so called Kondo insulator, is recently discussed as a candidate material for a strong topological insulator. We present detailed atomically resolved topographic information on the (001) surface from more than a dozen SmB$_6$ samples. Atomically flat, {\it in situ} cleaved surfaces often exhibit B- and Sm-terminated surfaces as well as reconstructed and non-reconstructed areas {\it coexisting} on different length scales. The terminations are unambiguously identified. In addition, electronic inhomogeneities are observed which likely result from the polar nature of the (001) surface and may indicate an inhomogeneous Sm valence at the surface of SmB$_6$. In addition, atomically resolved topographies on a (110) surface are discussed.

We report on a joint theoretical and experimental study of the vibrational dynamics of the type-I clathrates A(8)Sn(44)square (2) (A=K, Rb, Cs, and square stands for a vacancy) by high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering experiments combined with low-temperature specific heat measurements (2-300K). Ab initio lattice dynamics calculations were performed on hypothetical vacancy-free A(8)Sn(46) clathrates in order to determine the phonon dispersions and vibrational density of states Z ( omega ). The temperature dependence of the generalized vibrational density of states (GVDOS) was traced from 420K down to 50K, paying particular attention to the low-energy region of the GVDOS spectra. In the Cs and Rb compounds, the inelastic signal at low energies is dominated by several peaks mainly associated with the dynamics of the alkali metal atoms A in the polyhedral cages of the clathrate structure. In contrast, the low-energy spectrum of the K compound features a more pronounced contribution of the weighed modes of the framework Sn atoms. Upon cooling, the A-weighted modes soften regardless of the nature of the alkali element. The shift observed is similar for the three compounds and of small amplitude, suggestive of a dominant quasi-harmonic behavior above 50K. The distinct dynamics of the K atoms in comparison to Cs and Rb is further demonstrated by the analyses of the low-temperature specific heat data, indicating that the low-energy Sn-weighted modes cannot be described by a Debye model with Einstein-like contributions., CNRS-MPG Program

Paramagnons are supposed to provide the pairing glue for unconventional superconductors. For the heavy-fermion superconductor ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$, there is indeed good evidence from inelastic neutron scattering (INS) that spin fluctuations drive the superconductivity. Here, we present the INS measurement of the inelastic response of the antiferromagnetic parent compound, `A-type' ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$, to probe the relation to the excitations of the superconducting (`S-type') sample. We find that the dispersion is very similar in the antiferromagnetic state and in the normal state of the superconducting sample. Pronounced differences to the response in the superconducting state exist at low energies around the zone center. These findings are in line with observations of other unconventional superconductors.

Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were performed on CeCu_{2}Si_{2} in the presence of a magnetic field close to the upper critical field μ_{0}H_{c2} in order to investigate its superconducting (SC) properties near pair-breaking fields. In lower fields, the Knight shift and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate divided by temperature 1/T_{1}T abruptly decreased below the SC transition temperature T_{c}(H), a phenomenon understood within the framework of conventional spin-singlet superconductivity. In contrast, 1/T_{1}T was enhanced just below T_{c}(H) and exhibited a broad maximum when magnetic fields close to μ_{0}H_{c2}(0) were applied parallel or perpendicular to the c axis; although the Knight shift decreased just below T_{c}(H). This enhancement of 1/T_{1}T, which was recently observed in the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)_{2}Cu(NCS)_{2}, suggests the presence of high-density Andreev bound states in the inhomogeneous SC region, a hallmark of the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov phase.

Strong electron correlations can give rise to extraordinary properties of metals with renormalized quasiparticles which are at the basis of Landau's Fermi liquid theory. Near a quantum critical point, these quasiparticles can be destroyed and non-Fermi liquid behavior ensues. YbRh$_2$Si$_2$ is a prototypical correlated metal as it exhibits quasiparticles formation, formation of Kondo lattice coherence and quasiparticle destruction at a field-induced quantum critical point. Here we show how, upon lowering the temperature, the Kondo lattice coherence develops and finally gives way to non-Fermi liquid electronic excitations. By measuring the single-particle excitations through scanning tunneling spectroscopy down to 0.3 K, we find the Kondo lattice peak emerging below the Kondo temperature $T_{\rm K} \sim$ 25 K, yet this peak displays a non-trivial temperature dependence with a strong increase around 3.3 K. At the lowest temperature and as a function of an external magnetic field, the width of this peak is minimized in the quantum critical regime. Our results provide a striking demonstration of the non-Fermi liquid electronic excitations in quantum critical metals, thereby elucidating the strange-metal phenomena that have been ubiquitously observed in strongly correlated electron materials., 7 pages, 5 figures

We present thermal expansion and magnetostriction measurements on a ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ single crystal of A/S type up to 17.9 T magnetic field applied along the crystallographic $a$ direction $(\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}L\ensuremath{\parallel}a\ensuremath{\parallel}H)$ and down to 0.015 K temperature. We identify clear thermodynamic anomalies at the superconducting transition ${T}_{c}$ and at two second-order transitions ${T}_{A,B}$ into ordered phases A and B. Our measurements establish the boundary of phase B at high field and low temperature. No evidence for additional high-field phases above B is found up to the maximum field. We speculate based on our experimental results that (i) phase B is similar to phase A of spin-density wave type and (ii) the first-order phase transition between A and B is caused by Fermi-surface reconstruction. We furthermore identify a quantum critical point at ${H}_{c}\ensuremath{\simeq}17$ T, where ${T}_{B}$ is suppresssed to zero, and a bicritical point at (0.35 K, 7.0 T), where phase lines ${T}_{\text{A}}(H)$ and ${T}_{\text{B}}(H)$ meet.

Here we report the evolution of bulk band structure and surface states in rare earth mono-bismuthides with partially filled f shell. Utilizing synchrotron-based photoemission spectroscopy, we determined the three-dimensional bulk band structure and identified the bulk band inversions near the X points, which, according to the topological theory, could give rise to nontrivial band topology with odd number of gapless topological surface states. Near the surface Gamma bar point, no clear evidence for predicted gapless topological surface state is observed due to its strong hybridization with the bulk bands. Near the M bar point, the two surface states, due to projections from two inequivalent bulk band inversions, interact and give rise to two peculiar sets of gapped surface states. The bulk band inversions and corresponding surface states can be tuned substantially by varying rare earth elements, in good agreement with density-functional theory calculations assuming local f electrons. Our study therefore establishes rare earth mono-bismuthides as an interesting class of materials possessing tunable electronic properties and magnetism, providing a promising platform to search for novel properties in potentially correlated topological materials., Comment: 7 figures

The topological nature of surface states in SmB6 is revealed using samples with magnetic substituents or magnetic tunneling tips., The impact of nonmagnetic and magnetic impurities on topological insulators is a central focus concerning their fundamental physics and possible spintronics and quantum computing applications. Combining scanning tunneling spectroscopy with transport measurements, we investigate, both locally and globally, the effect of nonmagnetic and magnetic substituents in SmB6, a predicted topological Kondo insulator. Around the so-introduced substitutents and in accord with theoretical predictions, the surface states are locally suppressed with different length scales depending on the substituent’s magnetic properties. For sufficiently high substituent concentrations, these states are globally destroyed. Similarly, using a magnetic tip in tunneling spectroscopy also resulted in largely suppressed surface states. Hence, a destruction of the surface states is always observed close to atoms with substantial magnetic moment. This points to the topological nature of the surface states in SmB6 and illustrates how magnetic impurities destroy the surface states from microscopic to macroscopic length scales.

We report results of isothermal magnetotransport and susceptibility measurements at elevated magnetic fields B down to very low temperatures T on high-quality single crystals of the frustrated Kondo-lattice system CePdAl. They reveal a B*(T) line within the paramagnetic part of the phase diagram. This line denotes a thermally broadened 'small'-to-'large' Fermi surface crossover which substantially narrows upon cooling. At B_0* = B*(T=0) = (4.6 +/- 0.1) T, this B*(T) line merges with two other crossover lines, viz. Tp(B) below and T_FL(B) above B_0*. Tp characterizes a frustration-dominated spin-liquid state, while T_FL is the Fermi-liquid temperature associated with the lattice Kondo effect. Non-Fermi-liquid phenomena which are commonly observed near a 'Kondo destruction' quantum critical point cannot be resolved in CePdAl. Our observations reveal a rare case where Kondo coupling, frustration and quantum criticality are closely intertwined., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures

The nature of the pairing symmetry of the first heavy fermion superconductor CeCu

In this paper the low-temperature properties of two isostructural canonical heavy-fermion compounds are contrasted with regards to the interplay between antiferromagnetic (AF) quantum criticality and superconductivity. For CeCu$_2$Si$_2$, fully-gapped d-wave superconductivity forms in the vicinity of an itinerant three-dimensional heavy-fermion spin-density-wave (SDW) quantum critical point (QCP). Inelastic neutron scattering results highlight that both quantum critical SDW fluctuations as well as Mott-type fluctuations of local magnetic moments contribute to the formation of Cooper pairs in CeCu$_2$Si$_2$. In YbRh$_2$Si$_2$, superconductivity appears to be suppressed at $T\gtrsim~10$ mK by AF order ($T_N$ = 70 mK). Ultra-low temperature measurements reveal a hybrid order between nuclear and 4f-electronic spins, which is dominated by the Yb-derived nuclear spins, to develop at $T_A$ slightly above 2 mK. The hybrid order turns out to strongly compete with the primary 4f-electronic order and to push the material towards its QCP. Apparently, this paves the way for heavy-fermion superconductivity to form at $T_c$ = 2 mK. Like the pressure - induced QCP in CeRhIn$_5$, the magnetic field - induced one in YbRh$_2$Si$_2$ is of the local Kondo-destroying variety which corresponds to a Mott-type transition at zero temperature. Therefore, these materials form the link between the large family of about fifty low-$T$ unconventional heavy - fermion superconductors and other families of unconventional superconductors with higher $T_c$s, notably the doped Mott insulators of the cuprates, organic charge-transfer salts and some of the Fe-based superconductors. Our study suggests that heavy-fermion superconductivity near an AF QCP is a robust phenomenon., 30 pages, 7 Figures, Accepted for publication in Philosophical Magazine

The nature of the pairing symmetry of the first heavy fermion superconductor CeCu$_2$Si$_2$ has recently become the subject of controversy. While CeCu$_2$Si$_2$ was generally believed to be a $d$-wave superconductor, recent low temperature specific heat measurements showed evidence for fully gapped superconductivity, contrary to the nodal behavior inferred from earlier results. Here we report London penetration depth measurements, which also reveal fully gapped behavior at very low temperatures. To explain these seemingly conflicting results, we propose a fully gapped $d+d$ band-mixing pairing state for CeCu$_2$Si$_2$, which yields very good fits to both the superfluid density and specific heat, as well as accounting for a sign change of the superconducting order parameter, as previously concluded from inelastic neutron scattering results., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures including Supplemental material. Published version in PNAS available online ahead of print at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/05/07/1720291115

The description of the numerical method of simulation based on the quantum transfer-matrix (QTM) approach is presented for diluted spin \(S=1/2\) chains. Modification of the extrapolation technique has been used to obtain better accuracy of numerical results. The simulations have been performed using the \(S=1/2\) antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model with the transverse staggered field and a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the staggered field applicable for the diluted compound (Yb\(_{1-x}\)Lu\(_x\))\(_4\)As\(_3\). In the model calculations the fixed microscopic parameters established earlier for the pure system have been assumed and the random impurity distribution has been considered. The experimental field-dependent specific heat of the polydomain diluted (Yb\(_{1-x}\)Lu\(_x\))\(_4\)As\(_3\) sample is compared with that calculated using the HPC resources and providing additional verification of both the QTM method and the physical model.

Charge transport of topological semimetals has been in the focus of intensive investigations because of their non-trivial band topology. Heat transport of these materials, on the other hand, is largely unexplored and remains elusive. Here we report on an observation of unprecedented, giant magnetic quantum oscillations of thermal conductivity in the prototypical Weyl semimetal TaAs. The oscillations are antiphase with the quantum oscillating electronic density of states of a Weyl pocket, and their amplitudes amount to two orders of magnitude of the estimation based on the Wiedemann-Franz law. Our analyses show that all the conventional heat-transport mechanisms through diffusions of propagating electrons, phonons and electron-hole bipolar excitations, are far inadequate to account for these phenomena. Taking further experimental facts that the parallel field configuration favors much higher magneto-thermal conductivity, we propose that the newly proposed chiral zero sound provides a reasonable explanation to these exotic phenomena. More work focusing on other topological semimetals along the same line is badly called for., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures

Quantum criticality arises from continuous changes of matter at absolute zero temperature. It can have vast reaching influence on wide regions of phase space and is often connected to the occurrence of non-Fermi liquid behavior and unconventional superconductivity. Various different types of quantum criticality have been observed over the last years and 4f-electron based heavy-fermion metals have become prototype materials in which quantum criticality is easily realized by application of pressure or magnetic field, as well as suitable changes in chemical composition. Using low-temperature thermodynamic, magnetic and transport experiments on clean prototype materials we investigate novel types of quantum criticality arising from ferromagnetic fluctuations and strong geometrical frustration, as well as quantum criticality hidden by unconventional superconductivity.

We used a spectroscopic microwave technique utilizing superconducting stripline resonators at frequencies between 3 GHz and 15 GHz to examine the charge dynamics of YbRh2Si2 at temperatures and magnetic fields close to the quantum critical point. The different electronic phases of this heavy-fermion compound, in particular the antiferromagnetic, Fermi-liquid, and non-Fermi-liquid regimes, were probed with temperature-dependent microwave measurements between 40 mK and 600 mK at a set of different magnetic fields up to 140 mT. Signatures of phase transitions were observed, which give information about the dynamic response of this peculiar material that exhibits field-tuned quantum criticality and pronounced deviations from Fermi-liquid theory., 5 pages, 3 figures

The manifestation of Weyl fermions in strongly correlated electron systems is of particular interest. We report evidence for Weyl fermions in the heavy fermion semimetal YbPtBi from electronic structure calculations, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, magnetotransport and calorimetric measurements. At elevated temperatures where $4f$-electrons are localized, there are triply degenerate points, yielding Weyl nodes in applied magnetic fields. These are revealed by a contribution from the chiral anomaly in the magnetotransport, which at low temperatures becomes negligible due to the influence of electronic correlations. Instead, Weyl fermions are inferred from the topological Hall effect, which provides evidence for a Berry curvature, and a cubic temperature dependence of the specific heat, as expected from the linear dispersion near the Weyl nodes. The results suggest that YbPtBi is a Weyl heavy fermion semimetal, where the Kondo interaction renormalizes the bands hosting Weyl points. These findings open up an opportunity to explore the interplay between topology and strong electronic correlations., 19 pages, 5 figures, Supplementary Information available with open access at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06782-1

We report magnetic and calorimetric measurements down to T = 1 mK on the canonical heavy-electron metal YbRh2Si2. The data reveal the development of nuclear antiferromagnetic order slightly above 2 mK. The latter weakens the primary electronic antiferromagnetism, thereby paving the way for heavy-electron superconductivity below Tc = 2 mK. Our results demonstrate that superconductivity driven by quantum criticality is a general phenomenon., 39 pages including Supplementary Materials. Version before copy-edited by the journal

Anti-ferromagnetic (AF) heavy-fermion (HF) metals frequently exhibit a quantum critical point (QCP), i.e. a continuous disappearance of AF order at zero temperature as a function of a non-thermal control parameter, like pressure. Commonly, unconventional (d-wave) superconductivity (SC) is observed in the vicinity of such a QCP. In this article, the interplay between quantum criticality and SC in HF metals is discussed. The latter can be well described in the framework of the Kondo lattice (KL) model. After introducing HFs and giving an overview on HF superconductivity, the characteristic energy scales in KL systems are addressed. Subsequently, we concentrate on the isostructural compounds CeCu2Si2 and YbRh2Si2. CeCu2Si2 is a prototypical HF superconductor which shows a QCP of itinerant, i.e. three-dimensional (3D) spin-density-wave (SDW) type. Overdamped, nearly quantum-critical SDW fluctuations are concluded from inelastic-neutron-scattering results to be the driving force for SC (Tc ≈ 0.6 K) in this com...

We present results of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy (STS) measurements on the "Kondo insulator" SmB$_6$. The vast majority of surface areas investigated was reconstructed but, infrequently, also patches of varying size of non-reconstructed, Sm- or B-terminated surfaces were found. On the smallest patches, clear indications for the hybridization gap and inter-multiplet transitions were observed. On non-reconstructed surface areas large enough for coherent co-tunneling we were able to observe clear-cut Fano resonances. Our locally resolved STS indicated considerable finite conductance on all surfaces independent of their structure., 5 pages, 4 figures

Electron-like carriers in bismuth are described by the Dirac Hamiltonian, with a band mass becoming a thousandth of the bare electron mass along one crystalline axis. The existence of three anisotropic valleys offers electrons an additional degree of freedom, a subject of recent attention. Here, we map the Landau spectrum by angle-resolved magnetostriction, and quantify the carrier number in each valley: while the electron valleys keep identical spectra, they substantially differ in their density of states at the Fermi level. Thus, the electron fluid does not keep the rotational symmetry of the lattice at low temperature and high magnetic field, even in the absence of internal strain. This effect, reminiscent of the Coulomb pseudo-gap in localized electronic states, affects only electrons in the immediate vicinity of the Fermi level. It presents the most striking departure from the non-interacting picture of electrons in bulk bismuth., Comment: 6 pages, 3 Figures

From the electrical resistivity and ac susceptibility measurements down to $T$ = 40 mK, a rich temperature-field phase diagram has been constructed for the geometrically frustrated heavy-fermion compound CePdAl. In the limit of zero temperature, the field-induced suppression of the antiferromagnetism in this compound results in a sequence of phase transitions/corssovers, rather than a single critical point, in a critical region of field 3$-$5 T. In the lowest temperature region, a power-law description of the temperature-dependent resistivity yields $A$$\cdot$$T^n$ with $n$$>$2 for all applied fields. However, a quadratic-in-temperature resistivity term can be extracted when assuming an additional electron scattering channel from magnon-like excitations, with $A$ diverging upon approaching the critical regime. Our observations suggest CePdAl to be a new playground for exotic physics arising from the competition between Kondo screening and geometrical frustration., 5 pages, 5 figures

Topological insulators give rise to exquisite electronic properties because of their spin-momentum locked Dirac-cone-like band structure. Recently, it has been suggested that the required opposite parities between valence and conduction band along with strong spin-orbit coupling can be realized in correlated materials. Particularly, SmB6 has been proposed as candidate material for a topological Kondo insulator. Here we observe, by utilizing scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy down to 0.35 K, several states within the hybridization gap of about ±20 meV on well characterized (001) surfaces of SmB6. The spectroscopic response to impurities and magnetic fields allows to distinguish between dominating bulk and surface contributions to these states. The surface contributions develop particularly strongly below about 7 K, which can be understood in terms of a suppressed Kondo effect at the surface. Our high-resolution data provide insight into the electronic structure of SmB6, which reconciles many current discrepancies on this compound.

We report on magnetotransport properties of the Kondo semiconducting compound ${\mathrm{CeRu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Al}}_{10}$, focusing on its exotic phase below ${T}_{0}=27$ K. An excess thermal conductivity $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ emerges below ${T}_{0}$ and is gradually suppressed by magnetic field, strikingly resembling those observed in the hidden-order phase of ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$. Our analysis indicates that low-energy magnetic excitation is the most likely origin, as was also proposed for ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ recently based on inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of phonon dynamics, despite the largely reduced magnetic moments. Likewise, other transport properties such as resistivity, thermopower, and Nernst effect exhibit distinct features characterizing the very different charge dynamics above and below ${T}_{0}$, sharing similarities to ${\mathrm{URu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$, too. Given the exotic nature of the ordered phase in both compounds, whether a unified interpretation to all these observations exists appears to be extremely interesting.

The title compound is prepared from mixtures of the elements (5 GPa, 720 K, 95% yield) and characterized by powder XRD, electrical measurements, and DFT band structure calculations.

We report on inelastic neutron scattering experiments that were carried out on single-crystalline CePdAl, which is a heavy fermion system with hexagonal crystal structure and is close to an antiferromagnetic quantum critical point. The measurements yield information on the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) excitations and quasielastic spin fluctuations. Two excited CEF levels have been detected at ≈240 K and >400 K. A broad quasielastic magnetic signal could be observed, yielding a Kondo temperature TK = 5 K that agrees with the result from thermodynamic measurements.

We present a systematic study of the magnetization in YbRh$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ under slightly negative (6?% Ir substitution) and positive (7% Co substitution) chemical pressure. We show how the critical field $H_{0}$, associated with the high-field Lifshitz transitions, is shifted to lower (higher) values with Co (Ir) substitution. The critical field $H_{\mathrm{N}}$, which identifies the boundary line of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase $T_{\mathrm{N}}(H)$ increases with positive pressure and it approaches zero with 6% Ir substitution. On the other side, the crossover field $H^{*}$, associated with the energy scale $T^{*}(H)$ where a reconstruction of the Fermi surface has been observed, is not much influenced by the chemical substitution.}{Following the analysis proposed in Refs.\,\cite{Paschen2004,Gegenwart2007,Friedemann2009,Tokiwa2009a} we have fitted the quantity $\tilde{M}(H)=M+(dM/dH)H$ with a crossover function to indentify $H^{*}$. The $T^{*}(H)$ line follows an almost linear $H$-dependence at sufficiently high fields outside the AFM phase, but it deviates from linearity at $T \le T_{\mathrm{N}}(0)$ and in Yb(Rh$_{0.93}$Co$_{0.07}$)$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ it changes slope clearly inside the AFM phase. Moreover, the FWHM of the fit function depends linearly on temperature outside the phase, but remains constant inside, suggesting either that such an analysis is valid only for $T \ge T_{\mathrm{N}}(0)$ or that the Fermi surface changes continuously at $T = 0$ inside the AFM phase.}}