Antiferromagnetic criticality at a heavy-fermion quantum phase transition

Abstract

The interpretation of the magnetic phase diagrams of strongly correlated electron systems remains controversial. In particular, the physics of quantum phase transitions, which occur at zero temperature, is still enigmatic. Heavy-fermion compounds aretextbook examples of quantum criticality, as doping, or the application of pressure or a magnetic field can lead to a quantum phase transition between a magnetically ordered state and a paramagnetic regime. A central question concerns the microscopic nature of the critical quantum fluctuations. Are they antiferromagnetic or of local origin? Here we demonstrate, using inelastic neutron scattering experiments, that the quantum phase transition in the heavy-fermion system Ce1-xLaxRu2Si2 is controlled by fluctuations of the antiferromagnetic order parameter. At least for this heavy-fermion family, the Hertz-Millis-Moriya spin fluctuation approach seems to be a sound basis for describing the quantum antiferromagnetic-paramagnetic instability.

15 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Fermi-liquid instabilities at magnetic quantum phase transitions
• Quantum Criticality in Heavy Fermion Metals
• Quantum criticality
• Quantum magnetism and criticality
• Anomalous scaling behavior of the dynamical spin susceptibility of Ce${}_{0.925}$La${}_{0.075}$Ru${}_2$Si${}_2$
• Spin Fluctuation in Heavy Fermion CeRu_2Si_2
• Artificial scaling laws of the dynamical magnetic susceptibility in heavy-fermion systems
• Low energy spin fluctuations in the heavy fermion compound Ce${}_{0.925}$La${}_{0.075}$Ru${}_2$Si${}_2$

Cited by in corpus (18)

• Heavy Fermions and Quantum Phase Transitions
• Quantum and classical criticality in a dimerized quantum antiferromagnet
• Pressure dependence of superconducting critical temperature and upper critical field of 2H-NbS2
• Finite-size scaling at first-order quantum transitions
• Heavy fermions in high magnetic field
• Fermi surface topology of the two-dimensional Kondo lattice model: a dynamical cluster approximation approach
• High-field moment polarization in the ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe
• Field-induced spin-density wave beyond hidden order in URu2Si2
• High-field metamagnetism in the antiferromagnet CeRh${}_2$Si${}_2$
• Finite-size scaling at the first-order quantum transitions of quantum Potts chains
• Magnetic Polarization and Fermi Surface Instability: Case of YbRh2Si2
• Fermi Surface Properties, Metamgnetic Transition and Quantum Phase Transition of CeRu${}_2$Si${}_2$ and Its Alloys Probed by the dHvA Effect--Fermi Surface Studies on the Itinerant and Localized Dichotomy of $f$ Electron Nature
• Field-induced quantum fluctuations in the heavy fermion superconductor CeCu2Ge2
• Scaling properties of the dynamics at first-order quantum transitions when boundary conditions favor one of the two phases
• Three-dimensional critical phase diagram of the Ising antiferromagnet CeRh${}_2$Si${}_2$ under intense magnetic field and pressure
• Fragile antiferromagnetism in the heavy-fermion compound YbBiPt
• Scaling phenomena driven by inhomogeneous conditions at first-order quantum transitions
• Quantum Critical Fluctuations in the Heavy fermion compound Ce(Ni${}_{0.935}$Pd${}_{0.065}$)${}_2$Ge${}_2$