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Title: Evolution of Magnetic Double Helix and Quantum Criticality near a Dome of Superconductivity in CrAs

Abstract

At ambient pressure, CrAs undergoes a first-order transition into a double-helical magnetic state at TN=265 K, which is accompanied by a structural transition. The recent discovery of pressure-induced superconductivity in CrAs makes it important to clarify the nature of quantum phase transitions out of the coupled structural/helimagnetic order in this system. Here, we show, via neutron diffraction on the single-crystal CrAs under hydrostatic pressure (P), that the combined order is suppressed at Pc≈10 kbar, near which bulk superconductivity develops with a maximal transition temperature Tc≈2 K. We further show that the coupled order is also completely suppressed by phosphorus doping in CrAs1-xPx at a critical xc ≈ 0.05, above which inelastic neutron scattering evidenced persistent antiferromagnetic correlations, providing a possible link between magnetism and superconductivity. In line with the presence of antiferromagnetic fluctuations near Pc(xc), the A coefficient of the quadratic temperature dependence of resistivity exhibits a dramatic enhancement as P (x) approaches Pc(xc), around which ρ(T) has a non-Fermi-liquid form. Accordingly, the electronic specific-heat coefficient of CrAs1-xPx peaks around xc. These properties provide clear evidence for quantum criticality, which we interpret as originating from a nearly second-order helimagnetic quantum phase transition that is concomitant with a first-order structural transition.more » Lastly, our findings in CrAs highlight the distinct characteristics of quantum criticality in bad metals, thereby bringing out new insights into the physics of unconventional superconductivity such as those occurring in the high-Tc iron pnictides.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1461040
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1462869
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0018197; 2018YFA0305700; 2014CB921500; 2015CB921303; 2017YFA0302901; 2016YFA0300504; AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Published Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review. X
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physical Review. X Journal Volume: 8 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2160-3308
Publisher:
American Physical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY

Citation Formats

Matsuda, M., Lin, F. K., Yu, R., Cheng, J. -G., Wu, W., Sun, J. P., Zhang, J. H., Sun, P. J., Matsubayashi, K., Miyake, T., Kato, T., Yan, J. -Q., Stone, M. B., Si, Qimiao, Luo, J. L., and Uwatoko, Y. Evolution of Magnetic Double Helix and Quantum Criticality near a Dome of Superconductivity in CrAs. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031017.
Matsuda, M., Lin, F. K., Yu, R., Cheng, J. -G., Wu, W., Sun, J. P., Zhang, J. H., Sun, P. J., Matsubayashi, K., Miyake, T., Kato, T., Yan, J. -Q., Stone, M. B., Si, Qimiao, Luo, J. L., & Uwatoko, Y. Evolution of Magnetic Double Helix and Quantum Criticality near a Dome of Superconductivity in CrAs. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031017
Matsuda, M., Lin, F. K., Yu, R., Cheng, J. -G., Wu, W., Sun, J. P., Zhang, J. H., Sun, P. J., Matsubayashi, K., Miyake, T., Kato, T., Yan, J. -Q., Stone, M. B., Si, Qimiao, Luo, J. L., and Uwatoko, Y. 2018. "Evolution of Magnetic Double Helix and Quantum Criticality near a Dome of Superconductivity in CrAs". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031017.
@article{osti_1461040,
title = {Evolution of Magnetic Double Helix and Quantum Criticality near a Dome of Superconductivity in CrAs},
author = {Matsuda, M. and Lin, F. K. and Yu, R. and Cheng, J. -G. and Wu, W. and Sun, J. P. and Zhang, J. H. and Sun, P. J. and Matsubayashi, K. and Miyake, T. and Kato, T. and Yan, J. -Q. and Stone, M. B. and Si, Qimiao and Luo, J. L. and Uwatoko, Y.},
abstractNote = {At ambient pressure, CrAs undergoes a first-order transition into a double-helical magnetic state at TN=265 K, which is accompanied by a structural transition. The recent discovery of pressure-induced superconductivity in CrAs makes it important to clarify the nature of quantum phase transitions out of the coupled structural/helimagnetic order in this system. Here, we show, via neutron diffraction on the single-crystal CrAs under hydrostatic pressure (P), that the combined order is suppressed at Pc≈10 kbar, near which bulk superconductivity develops with a maximal transition temperature Tc≈2 K. We further show that the coupled order is also completely suppressed by phosphorus doping in CrAs1-xPx at a critical xc ≈ 0.05, above which inelastic neutron scattering evidenced persistent antiferromagnetic correlations, providing a possible link between magnetism and superconductivity. In line with the presence of antiferromagnetic fluctuations near Pc(xc), the A coefficient of the quadratic temperature dependence of resistivity exhibits a dramatic enhancement as P (x) approaches Pc(xc), around which ρ(T) has a non-Fermi-liquid form. Accordingly, the electronic specific-heat coefficient of CrAs1-xPx peaks around xc. These properties provide clear evidence for quantum criticality, which we interpret as originating from a nearly second-order helimagnetic quantum phase transition that is concomitant with a first-order structural transition. Lastly, our findings in CrAs highlight the distinct characteristics of quantum criticality in bad metals, thereby bringing out new insights into the physics of unconventional superconductivity such as those occurring in the high-Tc iron pnictides.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031017},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1461040}, journal = {Physical Review. X},
issn = {2160-3308},
number = 3,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Fri Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.8.031017

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Cited by: 29 works
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