Neutron, electron and X-ray scattering investigation of Cr1-xVx near Quantum Criticality

Abstract

The weakness of electron-electron correlations in the itinerant antiferromagnet Cr doped with V has long been considered the reason that neither new collective electronic states or even non Fermi liquid behaviour are observed when antiferromagnetism in Cr${}_{1-x}$V${}_x$ is suppressed to zero temperature. We present the results of neutron and electron diffraction measurements of several lightly doped single crystals of Cr${}_{1-x}$V${}_x$ in which the archtypal spin density wave instability is progressively suppressed as the V content increases, freeing the nesting-prone Fermi surface for a new striped charge instability that occurs at x${}_c$=0.037. This novel nesting driven instability relieves the entropy accumulation associated with the suppression of the spin density wave and avoids the formation of a quantum critical point by stabilising a new type of charge order at temperatures in excess of 400 K. Restructuring of the Fermi surface near quantum critical points is a feature found in materials as diverse as heavy fermions, high temperature copper oxide superconductors and now even elemental metals such as Cr.

arXiv comment6 pages, 6 figures. Accepted to Physical Review B

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Cited by in corpus (4)

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• Kohn anomalies in momentum dependence of magnetic susceptibility of some three-dimensional systems