Non-Fermi liquid behavior in transport through Co doped Au chains

Abstract

We calculate the conductance as a function of temperature $G(T)$ through Au monoatomic chains containing one Co atom as a magnetic impurity, and connected to two conducting leads with a 4-fold symmetry axis. Using the information derived from {\it ab initio} calculations, we construct an effective model $\Heff$ that hybridizes a 3d${}^7$ quadruplet at the Co site with two 3d${}^8$ triplets through the hopping of 5d${}_{xz}$ and 5d${}_{yz}$ electrons of Au. The quadruplet is split by spin anisotropy due to spin-orbit coupling. Solving $\Heff$ with the numerical renormalization group (NRG) % Wb: reverted my own change we find that at low temperatures $G(T)=a-b\sqrt{T}$ and the ground state impurity entropy is $\ln (2)/2$, a behavior similar to the two-channel Kondo model. Stretching the chain leads to a non Kondo phase, with the physics of the underscreened Kondo model at the quantum critical point.

Accepted in Physical Review Letters