skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the antiferromagnetic Kondo semimetal CeNi2–δAs2

Abstract

The easily tuned balance among competing interactions in Kondo-lattice metals allows access to a zero-temperature, continuous transition between magnetically ordered and disordered phases, a quantum-critical point (QCP). Indeed, these highly correlated electron materials are prototypes for discovering and exploring quantum-critical states. Theoretical models proposed to account for the strange thermodynamic and electrical transport properties that emerge around the QCP of a Kondo lattice assume the presence of an indefinitely large number of itinerant charge carriers. Here, we report a systematic transport and thermodynamic investigation of the Kondo-lattice system CeNi2–δAs2 (δ ≈ 0.28) as its antiferromagnetic order is tuned by pressure and magnetic field to zero-temperature boundaries. These experiments show that the very small but finite carrier density of ~0.032 e/formular unit in CeNi2–δAs2 leads to unexpected transport signatures of quantum criticality and the delayed development of a fully coherent Kondo-lattice state with decreasing temperature. Here, the small carrier density and associated semimetallicity of this Kondo-lattice material favor an unconventional, local-moment type of quantum criticality and raises the specter of the Nozières exhaustion idea that an insufficient number of conduction-electron spins to separately screen local moments requires collective Kondo screening.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)
  3. Sungkyunkwan Univ., Suwon (South Korea)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1246337
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-14-26358
Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 112; Journal Issue: 44; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (United States)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; Kondo effect; quantum criticality; heavy Fermion; Nozieres exhaustion; anomalous Hall effect

Citation Formats

Luo, Yongkang, Ronning, F., Wakeham, N., Lu, Xin, Park, Tuson, Xu, Z. -A., and Thompson, J. D. Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the antiferromagnetic Kondo semimetal CeNi2–δAs2. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1073/pnas.1509581112.
Luo, Yongkang, Ronning, F., Wakeham, N., Lu, Xin, Park, Tuson, Xu, Z. -A., & Thompson, J. D. Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the antiferromagnetic Kondo semimetal CeNi2–δAs2. United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509581112
Luo, Yongkang, Ronning, F., Wakeham, N., Lu, Xin, Park, Tuson, Xu, Z. -A., and Thompson, J. D. 2015. "Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the antiferromagnetic Kondo semimetal CeNi2–δAs2". United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509581112. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1246337.
@article{osti_1246337,
title = {Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the antiferromagnetic Kondo semimetal CeNi2–δAs2},
author = {Luo, Yongkang and Ronning, F. and Wakeham, N. and Lu, Xin and Park, Tuson and Xu, Z. -A. and Thompson, J. D.},
abstractNote = {The easily tuned balance among competing interactions in Kondo-lattice metals allows access to a zero-temperature, continuous transition between magnetically ordered and disordered phases, a quantum-critical point (QCP). Indeed, these highly correlated electron materials are prototypes for discovering and exploring quantum-critical states. Theoretical models proposed to account for the strange thermodynamic and electrical transport properties that emerge around the QCP of a Kondo lattice assume the presence of an indefinitely large number of itinerant charge carriers. Here, we report a systematic transport and thermodynamic investigation of the Kondo-lattice system CeNi2–δAs2 (δ ≈ 0.28) as its antiferromagnetic order is tuned by pressure and magnetic field to zero-temperature boundaries. These experiments show that the very small but finite carrier density of ~0.032 e–/formular unit in CeNi2–δAs2 leads to unexpected transport signatures of quantum criticality and the delayed development of a fully coherent Kondo-lattice state with decreasing temperature. Here, the small carrier density and associated semimetallicity of this Kondo-lattice material favor an unconventional, local-moment type of quantum criticality and raises the specter of the Nozières exhaustion idea that an insufficient number of conduction-electron spins to separately screen local moments requires collective Kondo screening.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1509581112},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1246337}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
issn = {0027-8424},
number = 44,
volume = 112,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Oct 19 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 32 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Save / Share:

Works referenced in this record:

Some comments on Kondo lattices and the Mott transition
journal, December 1998


Universal relationship of the resistivity and specific heat in heavy-Fermion compounds
journal, May 1986


The break-up of heavy electrons at a quantum critical point
journal, July 2003


The Hall Effect in Magnetic Metals
book, January 1972


Magnetic order and transport in the heavy-fermion system CeCu Au
journal, October 1998


Quantum criticality in heavy-fermion metals
journal, March 2008


Hall effect across the quantum phase transition of CeCuAu
journal, April 2005


Heavy-fermion quantum criticality and destruction of the Kondo effect in a nickel oxypnictide
journal, May 2014


Fermi-liquid instabilities at magnetic quantum phase transitions
journal, August 2007


Protracted screening in the periodic Anderson model
journal, February 1997


Physical properties of Yb X Cu 4 ( X = Ag , Au, Cd, Mg, Tl, and Zn) compounds
journal, March 1999


Slow crossover in Yb X Cu 4 ( X =Ag, Cd, In, Mg, Tl, Zn) intermediate-valence compounds
journal, January 2001


Magnetism and crystalline electric field effect in ThCr 2 Si 2 -type CeNi 2 As 2
journal, December 2012


Magnetic properties and resistivity of ternary compounds CeNi2X2 (X=Sb, As, P)
journal, July 2001


Universality in Heavy Fermion Systems with General Degeneracy
journal, February 2005


The Hall Effect in Permalloy
journal, December 1929


Magnetic field-tuned quantum critical point in CeAuSb 2
journal, August 2005


Tuning low-temperature physical properties of CeNiGe 3 by magnetic field
journal, August 2010


Metamagnetic Quantum Criticality in Metals
journal, May 2002


Pressure versus magnetic-field tuning of a magnetic quantum phase transition
journal, March 2001


Heavy-fermion systems at the magnetic-nonmagnetic quantum phase transition
journal, January 1998


Low-energy scale of the periodic Anderson model
journal, May 2000


Quantum critical phenomena
journal, August 1976


Non-Fermi-liquid behavior in d - and f -electron metals
journal, October 2001


Quantum Criticality in Heavy Fermion Metals
text, January 2007


Fermi-liquid instabilities at magnetic quantum phase transitions
text, January 2006


Protracted Screening in the Periodic Anderson Model
text, January 1996


Works referencing / citing this record:

PrBi: Topology meets quadrupolar degrees of freedom
journal, February 2020


Heavy fermion quantum criticality at dilute carrier limit in CeNi2−δ(As1−xPx)2
journal, August 2019


Clamp cell with in situ pressure monitoring for low-temperature neutron scattering measurements
journal, August 2018


Unconventional and conventional quantum criticalities in CeRh0.58Ir0.42In5
journal, February 2018


Synthesis and physical properties of CeRu 2 As 2 and CeIr 2 As 2
journal, November 2019


Weyl–Kondo semimetal in heavy-fermion systems
journal, December 2017


PrBi: Topology meets quadrupolar degrees of freedom
text, January 2019


Heavy fermion quantum criticality at dilute carrier limit in CeNi2−δ(As1−xPx)2
journal, August 2019


Weyl-Kondo Semimetal in Heavy Fermion Systems
text, January 2016