No Arabic abstract
The evolution of the Fermi surface of CeRh$_{1-x}$Co$_x$In$_5$ was studied as a function of Co concentration $x$ via measurements of the de Haas-van Alphen effect. By measuring the angular dependence of quantum oscillation frequencies, we identify a Fermi surface sheet with $f$-electron character which undergoes an abrupt change in topology as $x$ is varied. Surprisingly, this reconstruction does not occur at the quantum critical concentration $x_c$, where antiferromagnetism is suppressed to T=0. Instead we establish that this sudden change occurs well below $x_c$, at the concentration x ~ 0.4 where long range magnetic order alters its character and superconductivity appears. Across all concentrations, the cyclotron effective mass of this sheet does not diverge, suggesting that critical behavior is not exhibited equally on all parts of the Fermi surface.
This paper has been withdrawn by the authors. We performed additional zero-field muon spin relaxation measurements in the superconducting state of CeIrIn$_5$ and found that the spontaneous fields reported previously below $T_c$ are not present. Thus, there is no evidence for a time-reversal-symmetry-violating superconducting order parameter. These new zero-field measurements, as well as new measurements of the penetration depth in this system, will be reported elsewhere. Our zero-field measurements in CeIr$_{0.5}$Rh$_{0.5}$In$_5$, reporting coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order, are still valid.
We have measured the superconducting penetration depth~$Lambda(T)$ in the heavy-fermion/intermediate-valent superconducting alloy series~Ce$_{1-x}$Yb$_x$CoIn$_5$ using transverse-field muon spin relaxation, to study the effect of intermediate-valent Yb doping on Fermi-liquid renormalization. From $Lambda(T)$ we determine the superfluid density $rho_s(T)$, and find that it decreases continuously with increasing nominal Yb concentration~$x$, i.e., with increasing intermediate valence. The temperature-dependent renormalization of the normal fluid density~$rho_N(T) = rho_s(0) - rho_s(T)$ in both the heavy-fermion and intermediate valence limits is proportional to the temperature-dependent renormalization of the specific heat. This indicates that the temperature-dependent Fermi-liquid Landau parameters of the superconducting quasiparticles entering the two different physical quantities are the same. These results represent an important advance in understanding of both intermediate valence and heavy-fermion phenomena in superconductors.
We report high-resolution, bulk Compton scattering measurements unveiling the Fermi surface of an optimally-doped iron-arsenide superconductor, Ba(Fe$_{0.93}$Co$_{0.07}$)$_2$As$_2$. Our measurements are in agreement with first-principles calculations of the electronic structure, revealing both the $X$-centered electron pockets and the $Gamma$-centered hole pockets. Moreover, our data are consistent with the strong three-dimensionality of one of these sheets that has been predicted by electronic structure calculations at the local-density-approximation-minimum As position. Complementary calculations of the noninteracting susceptibility, $chi_0({bf q}, omega)$, suggest that the broad peak that develops due to interband Fermi-surface nesting, and which has motivated several theories of superconductivity in this class of material, survives the measured three dimensionality of the Fermi surface in this family.
The magnetic ground state of the Eu$^{2+}$ moments in a series of Eu(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ single crystals grown from the Sn flux has been investigated in detail by neutron diffraction measurements. Combined with the results from the macroscopic properties (resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat) measurements, a phase diagram describing how the Eu magnetic order evolves with Co doping in Eu(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ is established. The ground-state magnetic structure of the Eu$^{2+}$ spins is found to develop from the A-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order in the parent compound, via the A-type canted AFM structure with some net ferromagnetic (FM) moment component along the crystallographic $mathit{c}$ direction at intermediate Co doping levels, finally to the pure FM order at relatively high Co doping levels. The ordering temperature of Eu declines linearly at first, reaches the minimum value of 16.5(2) K around $mathit{x}$ = 0.100(4), and then reverses upwards with further Co doping. The doping-induced modification of the indirect Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction between the Eu$^{2+}$ moments, which is mediated by the conduction $mathit{d}$ electrons on the (Fe,Co)As layers, as well as the change of the strength of the direct interaction between the Eu$^{2+}$ and Fe$^{2+}$ moments, might be responsible for the change of the magnetic ground state and the ordering temperature of the Eu sublattice. In addition, for Eu(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_{x}$)$_{2}$As$_{2}$ single crystals with 0.10 $leqslant$ $mathit{x}$ $leqslant$ 0.18, strong ferromagnetism from the Eu sublattice is well developed in the superconducting state, where a spontaneous vortex state is expected to account for the compromise between the two competing phenomena.
Conventional, thermally-driven continuous phase transitions are described by universal critical behaviour that is independent of the specific microscopic details of a material. However, many current studies focus on materials that exhibit quantum-driven continuous phase transitions (quantum critical points, or QCPs) at absolute zero temperature. The classification of such QCPs and the question of whether they show universal behaviour remain open issues. Here we report measurements of heat capacity and de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillations at low temperatures across a field-induced antiferromagnetic QCP (B$_{c0}simeq$ 50 T) in the heavy-fermion metal CeRhIn$_5$. A sharp, magnetic-field-induced change in Fermi surface is detected both in the dHvA effect and Hall resistivity at B$_0^*simeq$ 30 T, well inside the antiferromagnetic phase. Comparisons with band-structure calculations and properties of isostructural CeCoIn$_5$ suggest that the Fermi-surface change at B$_0^*$ is associated with a localized to itinerant transition of the Ce-4f electrons in CeRhIn$_5$. Taken in conjunction with pressure data, our results demonstrate that at least two distinct classes of QCP are observable in CeRhIn$_5$, a significant step towards the derivation of a universal phase diagram for QCPs.