Symmetry-breaking lattice distortion in Sr_3Ru_2O_7

Abstract

The electronic nematic phase of Sr${}_3$Ru${}_2$O${}_7$ is investigated by high-resolution in-plane thermal expansion measurements in magnetic fields close to 8 T applied at various angles $\Theta$ off the c-axis. At $\Theta <10^{\circ }$ we observe a very small ($10^{-7}$) lattice distortion which breaks the four-fold in-plane symmetry, resulting in nematic domains with interchanged $a$- and b-axis. At $\Theta \gtrsim 10^{\circ }$ the domains are almost fully aligned and thermal expansion indicates an area-preserving lattice distortion of order $2\times 10^{-6}$ which is likely related to orbital ordering. Since the system is located in the immediate vicinity to a metamagnetic quantum critical end point, the results represent the first observation of a structural relaxation driven by quantum criticality.

4 pages, 5 figures, PRL accepted

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• Sr3Ru2O7: Thermodynamics of Phase Formation in a Quantum Critical Metal
• Grüneisen parameter studies on heavy fermion quantum criticality
• Thermopower as sensitive probe of electronic nematicity in iron pnictides
• Quantum criticality and the formation of a putative electronic liquid crystal in Sr3Ru2O7
• Electric Octupole Order in Bilayer Ruthenate Sr${}_3$Ru${}_2$O${}_7$
• Multi-orbital physics in Fermi liquids prone to magnetic order
• Electric octupole order in bilayer Rashba system
• Quasi-classical physics and T-linear resistivity in both strongly correlated and ordinary metals
• Study of the electronic nematic phase of Sr${}_3$Ru${}_2$O${}_7$ with precise control of the applied magnetic field vector
• Quantum criticality in itinerant metamagnets
• Spin and orbital ordering in bilayer Sr${}_3$Cr${}_2$O${}_7$
• Electronic nematicity and its relation to quantum criticality in Sr_3Ru_2O_7 studied by thermal expansion
• Flat Bands and Enigma of Metamagnetic Quantum Critical Regime in Sr3Ru2O7
• Pressure study of nematicity and quantum criticality in Sr${}_3$Ru${}_2$O${}_7$ for an in-plane field
• Mn-induced magnetic symmetry breaking and its correlation with the metal-insulator transition in bilayered Sr3(Ru1-xMnx)2O7
• Effect of spin-orbit coupling on spin and orbital ordering in Sr${}_{n+1}$Cr${}_n$O${}_{3n+1}$, $n=1,2$
• Unrestricted Hartree-Fock Analysis of Sr${}_{3-x}$Ca${}_x$Ru${}_2$O${}_7$