Field-tuned quantum critical point of antiferromagnetic metals

Abstract

A magnetic field applied to a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic metal can destroy the long-range order and thereby induce a quantum critical point. Such field-induced quantum critical behavior is the focus of many recent experiments. We investigate theoretically the quantum critical behavior of clean antiferromagnetic metals subject to a static, spatially uniform external magnetic field. The external field does not only suppress (or induce in some systems) antiferromagnetism but also influences the dynamics of the order parameter by inducing spin precession. This leads to an exactly marginal correction to spin-fluctuation theory. We investigate how the interplay of precession and damping determines the specific heat, magnetization, magnetocaloric effect, susceptibility and scattering rates. We point out that the precession can change the sign of the leading \sqrt{T} correction to the specific heat coefficient c(T)/T and can induce a characteristic maximum in c(T)/T for certain parameters. We argue that the susceptibility χ=\partial M/\partial B is the thermodynamic quantity which shows the most significant change upon approaching the quantum critical point and which gives experimental access to the (dangerously irrelevant) spin-spin interactions.

arXiv comment12 pages, 8 figures

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Cited by in corpus (15)

• Fermi-liquid instabilities at magnetic quantum phase transitions
• Sign change of the Grueneisen parameter and magnetocaloric effect near quantum critical points
• Spin Fluctuation Theory for Quantum Tricritical Point Arising in Proximity to First-Order Phase Transitions: Applications to Heavy-Fermion Systems, YbRh2Si2, CeRu2Si2, and beta-YbAlB4
• Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Transition in Heavy Fermion Superlattices
• Thermodynamics of the coupled spin-dimer system TlCuCl3 close to a quantum phase transition
• Quantum Fluctuations in the Non-Fermi Liquid System CeCo${}_2$Ga${}_8$ Investigated Using $\mu$SR
• Finite temperature crossovers near quantum tricritical points in metals
• Renormalized phi^6 model for quantum phase transitions in systems of itinerant fermions
• Magnetic field tuning of antiferromagnetic Yb${}_3$Pt${}_4$
• Dimensional crossover in quantum critical metallic magnets
• Field induced quantum phase transition in the anisotropic Kondo necklace model
• Field-induced Bose-Einstein condensation of interacting dilute magnons in three-dimensional spin systems: A renormalization-group study
• Bose-Einstein condensation and entanglement in magnetic systems
• Random Field effects in field-driven quantum critical points
• Infinite critical boson non-Fermi liquid on heterostructure interfaces