Fe substitution in URu${}_2$Si${}_2$: singlet magnetism in an extended Doniach phase diagram

Abstract

The application of pressure as well as the successive substitution of Ru with Fe in the hidden order (HO) compound URu${}_2$Si${}_2$ leads to the formation of the large moment antiferromagnetic phase (LMAFM). Here we have investigated the substitution series URu${}_{2-x}$Fe${}_x$Si${}_2$ from $x$\,=\,0.0 to 2.0 by U\,4$f$ core-level photoelectron spectroscopy and have observed non-monotonic changes in the spectra. The initial increase and subsequent decrease of the spectral weight of the 4$f$ core level satellite with increasing $x$ stands for a non-monotonic 5$f$ filling across the substitution series. The competition of chemical pressure and increase of the density of states at the Fermi energy, both due to substitution of Ru with Fe, can explain such a behavior. An extended Doniach phase diagram including the $x$ dependence of the density of states is proposed. Also in URu${}_{2-x}$Fe${}_x$Si${}_2$ the ground state is a singlet or quasi-doublet state consisting of two singlets. Hence, the formation of magnetic order in the URu${}_{2-x}$Fe${}_x$Si${}_2$ substitution series must be explained within a singlet magnetism model.

10 pages, 7 figures