Composition induced metal-insulator quantum phase transition in the Heusler type Fe2VAl

Abstract

We report the magnetism and transport properties of the Heusler compound Fe2+xV1-xAl at -0.10 < x < 0.10 under pressure and a magnetic field. A metal-insulator quantum phase transition occurred at x = -0.05. Application of pressure or a magnetic field facilitated the emergence of finite zero-temperature conductivity around the critical point, which scaled approximately according to the power law. At x < -0.05, a localized paramagnetic spin appeared, whereas above the ferromagnetic quantum critical point at x = 0.05, itinerant ferromagnetism was established. At the quantum critical points at x = -0.05 and 0.05, the resistivity and specific heat exhibited singularities characteristic of a Griffiths phase appearing as an inhomogeneous electronic state.

submitted for Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 18 pages, 13 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Fermi-liquid instabilities at magnetic quantum phase transitions
• Discovery of Griffiths phase in itinerant magnetic semiconductor Fe_{1-x}Co_xS_2
• Signatures of a quantum Griffiths phase in a d-metal alloy close to its ferromagnetic quantum critical point

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Thermoelectricity in correlated narrow-gap semiconductors
• Off-stoichiometric effect on magnetic and electron transport properties of Fe${}_2$VAl${}_{1.35}$ in respect to Ni${}_2$VAl; Comparative study
• Griffiths phases in structurally disordered CeRhSn: Experimental evidence and theoretical modeling
• Prototypical many-body signatures in transport properties of semiconductors