Electronic in-plane symmetry breaking at field-tuned quantum criticality in CeRhIn5
Electronic nematicity appears in proximity to unconventional high-temperature superconductivity in the cuprates and iron-arsenides, yet whether they cooperate or compete is widely discussed. While many parallels are drawn between high-Tc and heavy fermion superconductors, electronic nematicity was not believed to be an important aspect in their superconductivity. We have found evidence for a field-induced strong electronic in-plane symmetry breaking in the tetragonal heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5. At ambient pressure and zero field, it hosts an anti-ferromagnetic order (AFM) of nominally localized 4f electrons at TN=3.8K(1). Moderate pressure of 17kBar suppresses the AFM order and a dome of superconductivity appears around the quantum critical point. Similarly, a density-wave-like correlated phase appears centered around the field-induced AFM quantum critical point. In this phase, we have now observed electronic nematic behavior.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC). Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1351215
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-17-22415
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Electronic in-plane symmetry breaking at field-tuned quantum criticality in CeRhIn5
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