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Title: Magnetic field-tuned Fermi liquid in a Kondo insulator

Journal Article · · Nature Communications

Kondo insulators are expected to transform into metals under a sufficiently strong magnetic field. The closure of the insulating gap stems from the coupling of a magnetic field to the electron spin, yet the required strength of the magnetic field–typically of order 100 T–means that very little is known about this insulator-metal transition. Here we show that Ce3Bi4Pd3, owing to its fortuitously small gap, provides an ideal Kondo insulator for this investigation. A metallic Fermi liquid state is established above a critical magnetic field of only Bc ≈ 11 T. A peak in the strength of electronic correlations near Bc, which is evident in transport and susceptibility measurements, suggests that Ce3Bi4Pd3 may exhibit quantum criticality analogous to that reported in Kondo insulators under pressure. Metamagnetism and the breakdown of the Kondo coupling are also discussed.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division; State of Florida
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1619599
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1603991; OSTI ID: 1779668
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-19-25216; LA-UR-19-25217; 5487; PII: 13421
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Vol. 10 Journal Issue: 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 14 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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