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We report the crystal structures and superconductivity (SC) of LaPt$_{x}$Si$_{2-x}$ ($0.5 \leq x \leq 1.0$) that are solid solutions of LaSi$_{2}$ and LaPtSi with centrosymmetric tetragonal ($I4_{1}/amd$, $D_{4h}^{19}$, \#141) and non-centrosymmetric tetragonal ($I4_{1}md$, $C_{4v}^{11}$, \#109) structures, respectively. It was found that at $0.86 \leq x \leq 1.00$, the non-centrosymmetric tetragonal symmetry is preserved, while partial disorder appears in alternating Pt and Si of the hyper-honeycomb network. The superconducting transition temperature $T_{\rm c}$ was drastically reduced from 3.9 K to 1.5 K as $x$ varies from 1.0 to 0.86. Additionally, a hexagonal phase with an AlB$_{2}$-type structure ($P6/mmm$, $D_{6h}^{1}$, \#191) has been discovered at $0.50 \leq x \leq 0.71$ with a honeycomb network of statistically distributed Pt and Si atoms. The hexagonal phase exhibited SC at $T_{\rm c} = 0.38$ K. This system provides an opportunity to investigate the relationship between topological electronic states, SC, and disorders

We have investigated the surface and bulk electronic structures of the superconducting type-II Dirac semimetal 1T-PdSeTe. The superconducting transition temperature $T_C = 3.2$ K was almost twice as high as $T_C = 1.6$ K in 1T-PdTe$_2$. Scanning transmission electron microscopy measurements showed homogeneously mixed Se and Te atoms in the chalcogen layers, consistent with the CdI$_2$-type crystal structure. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations indicated the existence of the topological surface states, and the overall band structures were similar to those of 1T-PdTe$_2$. These results suggest that CdI$_2$-type lattice symmetry dictates the band dispersion, regardless of atomic disorder in the chalcogen layers. As the electronic band dispersion and the local structures were persistent upon substitution, the enhancement of $T_C$ is likely associated with the chemical pressure. Our results provide insight into the effects of the solid solution on the surface and bulk electronic states as well as the superconducting transition temperature., Comment: Quantum materials, Dirac semimetal, Weyl semimetal, Topological insulator, Topological superconductor, angle-resolved Photoemission spectroscopy, superconductivity

The anisotropic electronic structure and Drude response of the quasi-kagome Kondo lattice CeRhSn have been investigated by combining polarized optical conductivity measurements and first-principles band calculations. Along the hexagonal $a$- and $c$-axes, the peaks in the middle-infrared region originating from the hybridization between conduction bands and Ce $4f$ states appear even at room temperature, indicating strong valence fluctuation. Renormalized Drude responses observed at the photon energy below 100 meV, on the other hand, are characterized by non-Fermi-liquid-like scattering rate $1/\tau$ proportional to $\omega^1$ for $E \parallel a$ and $\omega^{1.5}$ for $E \parallel c$. Additionally, the heavy carrier response only for $E \parallel a$ obeyed the dynamical Planckian scaling below 80 K, suggesting that the quantum criticality only appears in the Ce quasi-kagone plane for $E \parallel a$. These results indicate that the quantum criticality with the strong valence fluctuation is realized in the Ce quasi-kagome lattice., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We successfully synthesized a verdazyl-based complex, ($p$-Py-V-$p$-CN)$_2$[Cu(hfac)$_2$]. Molecular orbital calculations reveal that three types of antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions are involved in the formation of a spin-1/2 distorted octagonal lattice composed of the verdazyl radical and Cu spins. The magnetic properties of the compound exhibited contributions from AF correlations and a phase transition to an AF ordered state at approximately $T_{\rm{N}}$ = 2.5 K. Below $T_{\rm{N}}$, we observed a $T^2$ dependence of the specific heat, indicating dominant two-dimensional AF correlations within the octagonal lattice. The magnetization curve in the low-temperature region exhibited a low-field linear increase, subsequent bending at 1/3 magnetization, and high-field nonlinear increase. We reproduced the observed unique magnetic behavior through the numerical analysis based on the octagonal lattice. These results demonstrate that the present compound exhibits magnetic properties characteristic of octagonal lattice topology., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2310.14569

Single crystals of non-centrosymmetric $s$-wave superconductor LaPt$_{0.88}$Si$_{1.12}$ have been grown by the Czochralski (Cz) technique, whose crystal structure is described by the space group $I4{_1}md$ at ambient conditions. The inter-site mixing between platinum and silicon is confirmed by both single-crystal x-ray diffraction (SXRD) and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). The disordered material exhibits a lower superconducting (SC) transition temperature $T_c$ at 2.02 K as opposed to the highest value of 3.9 K reported in polycrystalline LaPtSi without inter-site mixing. From specific heat, the Sommerfeld coefficient ($\gamma$) is estimated to be 7.85 mJ/mol K$^2$, which is much larger than the values reported for the samples exhibiting higher $T_c$. This is unprecedented as $T_c$ seems to decrease with increase in the electron density of states (DOS) at the Fermi energy and thus $\gamma$. The present work reports on the anomalous behaviour of SC and normal state properties of LaPt$_{x}$Si$_{2-x}$, presumably caused due to the existence of non-trivial topological bands.

We have measured crystalline electric field (CEF) excitations of Nd3+ ions in the two-channel Kondo lattice candidates NdT2Zn20 (T = Co, Rh, and Ir) by means of inelastic neutron scattering (INS). In the INS measurements at 5 K, dispersionless excitations were observed at 3.8 and 7.2 meV for T = Co, 3.1 and 5.8 meV for T = Rh, and 3.0 and 5.3 meV for T = Ir. Analyses of the temperature dependence of the INS spectra confirm that the CEF ground states are the Gamma 6 doublet, that is a requisite for manifestation of the magnetic two-channel Kondo effect. For T = Co, a shoulder was observed at 7.7 meV close to the CEF excitation peak centered at 7.2 meV. The shoulder is attributed to a bound state of the CEF and low-lying optical phonon excitations., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures

CeRhSn with the Ce atoms forming a quasikagome lattice in the hexagonal plane has recently been discussed in the context of quantum criticality driven by magnetic frustration. Furthermore, it has been reported that the successive substitution of Rh by Pd leads to magnetic order. Here we have investigated the change of the 4$f$ occupation in the substitution series CeRh$_{1-x}$Pd$_x$Sn for for $x$ = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.75 by means of photoelectron spectroscopy with hard x-rays (HAXPES). The quantitative analysis of the core level spectra with a combined full multiplet and configuration interaction analysis shows a smooth decrease of the 4$f^0$ contribution with rising $x$ due to an increase of the effective 4$f$ binding energy $\varepsilon_{4f}$ and the reduction of the effective hybridization $V_\text{eff}$. We further compare valence band data with the calculated partial density of states and find that the Pd 4$d$ states are about 1eV further away from the Ce 4$f$ states at the Fermi energy than the Rh 4$d$ states. In fact, the effective binding energy $\varepsilon_{4f}$ of the 4$f$ states in the configuration interaction analysis of the core level spectra decreases by the same amount., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures

Intermetallic compounds containing $f$-electron elements have been prototypical materials for investigating strong electron correlations and quantum criticality (QC). Their heavy fermion ground state evoked by the magnetic $f$-electrons is susceptible to the onset of quantum phases, such as magnetism or superconductivity, due to the enhanced effective mass ($m^{*}$) and a corresponding decrease of the Fermi temperature. However, the presence of $f$-electron valence fluctuations to a non-magnetic state is regarded an anathema to QC, as it usually generates a paramagnetic Fermi-liquid state with quasiparticles of moderate $m^{*}$. Such systems are typically isotropic, with a characteristic energy scale $T_0$ of the order of hundreds of kelvins that require large magnetic fields or pressures to promote a valence or magnetic instability. Here we show that the intermediate valence compound $\alpha$-YbAlB$_4$ surprisingly exhibits both quantum critical behaviour and a Lifshitz transition under low magnetic field, which is attributed to the anisotropy of the hybridization between the conduction and localized $f$-electrons. These findings suggest a new route to bypass the large valence energy scale in developing the QC., Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures (3 panels)

We report the discovery of giant and anisotropic magnetoresistance due to the orbital rearrangement in a non-magnetic correlated metal. In particular, we measured the magnetoresistance under fields up to 31.4 T in the cubic Pr-based heavy fermion superconductor PrV$_2$Al$_{20}$ with a non-magnetic $\Gamma _3$ doublet ground state, exhibiting antiferro-quadrupole ordering below 0.7 K. For the [100] direction, we find that the high-field phase appears between 12 T and 25 T, accompanied by a large jump at 12 T in the magnetoresistance ($\Delta MR \sim $ 100 $\% $) and in the anisotropic magnetoresistivity (AMR) ratio by $\sim $ 20 $\% $. These observations indicate that the strong hybridization between the conduction electrons and anisotropic quadrupole moments leads to the Fermi surface reconstruction upon crossing the field-induced antiferro-quadrupole (orbital) rearrangement., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures

Given the parallelism between the physical properties of Ce and Yb based magnets and heavy fermions due to the electron-hole symmetry, it has been rather odd that the transition temperature of the Yb based compounds is normally very small, as low as $\sim$ 1 K or even lower, whereas Ce counterparts may often have the transition temperature well exceeding 10 K. Here, we report our experimental discovery of the transition temperature reaching 20 K for the first time in a Yb based compound at ambient pressure. The Mn substitution at the Al site in an intermediate valence state of $\alpha$-YbAlB$_{4}$ not only induces antiferromagnetic transition at a record high temperature of 20 K but also transforms the heavy fermion liquid state in $\alpha$-YbAlB$_{4}$ into a highly resistive metallic state proximate to a Kondo insulator., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures

This paper presents the results of specific-heat and magnetization measurements, in particular their field-orientation dependence, on the first discovered heavy-fermion superconductor CeCu$_2$Si$_2$ ($T_{\rm c} \sim 0.6$ K). We discuss the superconducting gap structure and the origin of the anomalous pair-breaking phenomena, leading e.g., to the suppression of the upper critical field $H_{\rm c2}$, found in the high-field region. The data show that the anomalous pair breaking becomes prominent below about 0.15 K in any field direction, but occurs closer to $H_{\rm c2}$ for $H \parallel c$. The presence of this anomaly is confirmed by the fact that the specific-heat and magnetization data satisfy standard thermodynamic relations. Concerning the gap structure, field-angle dependences of the low-temperature specific heat within the $ab$ and $ac$ planes do not show any evidence for gap nodes. From microscopic calculations in the framework of a two-band full-gap model, the power-law-like temperature dependences of $C$ and $1/T_1$, reminiscent of nodal superconductivity, have been reproduced reasonably. These facts further support multiband full-gap superconductivity in CeCu$_2$Si$_2$., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, published in Phys. Rev. B

Specific heat, elastic neutron scattering, and muon spin rotation ($\mu$SR) experiments have been carried out on a well-characterized sample of "stuffed" (Pr-rich) Pr$_{2+x}$Ir$_{2-x}$O$_{7-\delta}$. Elastic neutron scattering shows the onset of long-range spin-ice "2-in/2-out" magnetic order at $T_M = 0.93$ K, with an ordered moment of 1.7(1)$\mu_\mathrm{B}$/Pr ion at low temperatures. Approximate lower bounds on the correlation length and correlation time in the ordered state are 170 \AA\ and 0.7 ns, respectively. $\mu$SR experiments yield an upper bound 2.6(7) mT on the local field $B_\mathrm{loc}^{4f}$ at the muon site, which is nearly two orders of magnitude smaller than the expected dipolar field for long-range spin-ice ordering of 1.7$\mu_B$ moments (120--270 mT, depending on muon site). This shortfall is due in part to splitting of the non-Kramers crystal-field ground-state doublets of near-neighbor Pr$^{3+}$ ions by the $\mu^+$-induced lattice distortion. For this to be the only effect, however, $\sim$160 Pr moments out to a distance of $\sim$14 \AA\ must be suppressed. An alternative scenario, which is consistent with the observed reduced nuclear hyperfine Schottky anomaly in the specific heat, invokes slow correlated Pr-moment fluctuations in the ordered state that average $B_\mathrm{loc}^{4f}$ on the $\mu$SR time scale (${\sim}10^{-7}$ s), but are static on the time scale of the elastic neutron scattering experiments (${\sim}10^{-9}$ s). In this picture the dynamic muon relaxation suggests a Pr$^{3+}$ $4f$ correlation time of a few nanoseconds, which should be observable in a neutron spin echo experiment., Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev. B

PrV2Al20 is the heavy fermion superconductor based on the cubic Gamma3 doublet that exhibits non- magnetic quadrupolar ordering below ~ 0.6 K. Our magnetotransport study on PrV2Al20 reveals field-induced quadrupolar quantum criticality at Hc ~ 11 T applied along the [111] direction. Near the critical field Hc required to suppress the quadrupolar state, we find a marked enhancement of the resistivity rho(H, T), a divergent effective mass of quasiparticles and concomitant non-Fermi liquid (NFL) behavior (i.e. rho(T) ~ T^n with n < 0.5). We also observe the Shubnikov de Haas-effect above ?Hc, indicating the enhanced effective mass m/m0 ~ 10. This reveals the competition between the nonmagnetic Kondo effect and the intersite quadrupolar coupling, leading to the pronounced NFL behavior in an extensive region of T and H emerging from the quantum critical point., Comment: 5 pages and 3 figures

Low-temperature magnetization (M) measurements down to 0.1 K have been performed in magnetic fields up to 14.5 T for a single piece of a tiny single-crystalline sample (0.2 mg weight) of the spin-gap system YbAl3C3. At the base temperature of 0.1 K, several metamagnetic transitions were clearly observed for H // c in the range 6 T < H < 9 T whereas only two transitions were observed, one at 4.8 T and the other at 6.6 T, for H // a. At fields above 9 T, the magnetization becomes almost saturated for both H // a and H // c. The present results indicate that a singlet-triplet crossover occurs in a relatively narrow field range, suggesting a rather weak interdimer interaction in spite of the nearly triangular lattice of Yb ions., Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of ICM 2012

Superconductivity in the heavy-fermion compound CeCu2Si2 is a prototypical example of Cooper pairs formed by strongly correlated electrons. For more than 30 years, it has been believed to arise from nodal d-wave pairing mediated by a magnetic glue. Here, we report a detailed study of the specific heat and magnetization at low temperatures for a high-quality single crystal. Unexpectedly, the specific-heat measurements exhibit exponential decay with a two-gap feature in its temperature dependence, along with a linear dependence as a function of magnetic field and the absence of oscillations in the field angle, reminiscent of multiband full-gap superconductivity. In addition, we find anomalous behavior at high fields, attributed to a strong Pauli paramagnetic effect. A low quasiparticle density of states at low energies with a multiband Fermi-surface topology would open a new door into electron pairing in CeCu2Si2., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures (main text) + 5 pages, 6 figures (supplemental material), published in Phys. Rev. Lett

Fermi liquid theory, the standard theory of metals, has been challenged by a number of observations of anomalous metallic behavior found in the vicinity of a quantum phase transition. The breakdown of the Fermi liquid is accomplished by fine-tuning the material to a quantum critical point using a control parameter such as the magnetic field, pressure, or chemical composition. Our high precision magnetization measurements of the ultrapure f-electron based superconductor {\beta}-YbAlB4 demonstrate a scaling of its free energy indicative of zero-field quantum criticality without tuning in a metal. The breakdown of Fermi-liquid behavior takes place in a mixed-valence state, in sharp contrast with other known examples of quantum critical f-electron systems that are magnetic Kondo lattice systems with integral valence., Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures including supporting online matelials