Parity Transition of Spin-Singlet Superconductivity Using Sublattice Degrees of Freedom.

Recently, a superconducting (SC) transition from low-field (LF) to high-field (HF) SC states was reported in CeRh_{2}As_{2}, indicating the existence of multiple SC states. It has been theoretically noted that the existence of two Ce sites in the unit cell, the so-called sublattice degrees of freedom owing to the local inversion symmetry breaking at the Ce sites, can lead to the appearance of multiple SC phases even under an interaction inducing spin-singlet superconductivity. CeRh_{2}As_{2} is considered as the first example of multiple SC phases owing to this sublattice degree of freedom. However, microscopic information about the SC states has not yet been reported. In this study, we measured the SC spin susceptibility at two crystallographically inequivalent As sites using nuclear magnetic resonance for various magnetic fields. Our experimental results strongly indicate a spin-singlet state in both SC phases. In addition, the antiferromagnetic phase, which appears within the SC phase, only coexists with the LF SC phase; there is no sign of magnetic ordering in the HF SC phase. The present Letter reveals unique SC properties originating from the locally noncentrosymmetric characteristics.

Anisotropy-driven quantum criticality in an intermediate valence system.

Intermetallic compounds containing f-electron elements have been prototypical materials for investigating strong electron correlations and quantum criticality (QC). Their heavy fermion ground state evoked by the magnetic f-electrons is susceptible to the onset of quantum phases, such as magnetism or superconductivity, due to the enhanced effective mass (m*) and a corresponding decrease of the Fermi temperature. However, the presence of f-electron valence fluctuations to a non-magnetic state is regarded an anathema to QC, as it usually generates a paramagnetic Fermi-liquid state with quasiparticles of moderate m*. Such systems are typically isotropic, with a characteristic energy scale T0 of the order of hundreds of kelvins that require large magnetic fields or pressures to promote a valence or magnetic instability. Here we show the discovery of a quantum critical behaviour and a Lifshitz transition under low magnetic field in an intermediate valence compound α-YbAlB4. The QC origin is attributed to the anisotropic hybridization between the conduction and localized f-electrons. These findings suggest a new route to bypass the large valence energy scale in developing the QC.

Observation of Antiferromagnetic Order as Odd-Parity Multipoles inside the Superconducting Phase in CeRh_{2}As_{2}.

Spatial inversion symmetry in crystal structures is closely related to the superconducting (SC) and magnetic properties of materials. Recently, several theoretical proposals that predict various interesting phenomena caused by the breaking of the local inversion symmetry have been presented. However, experimental validation has not yet progressed owing to the lack of model materials. Here we present evidence for antiferromagnetic (AFM) order in CeRh_{2}As_{2} (SC transition temperature T_{SC}∼0.37 K), wherein the Ce site breaks the local inversion symmetry. The evidence is based on the observation of different extents of broadening of the nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrum at two crystallographically inequivalent As sites. This AFM ordering breaks the inversion symmetry of this system, resulting in the activation of an odd-parity magnetic multipole. Moreover, the onset of antiferromagnetism T_{N} within an SC phase, with T_{N}

Unconventional Bulk Superconductivity in YFe_{2}Ge_{2} Single Crystals.

Sharp superconducting transition anomalies observed in a new generation of single crystals establish that bulk superconductivity is intrinsic to high purity YFe_{2}Ge_{2}. Low temperature heat capacity measurements suggest a disorder and field dependent residual Sommerfeld coefficient, consistent with disorder-induced in-gap states as expected for a sign-changing order parameter. The sevenfold reduction in disorder scattering in these new crystals to residual resistivities ≃0.45 µΩ cm was achieved using a new liquid transport growth technique, paving the way for multiprobe experiments investigating the normal and superconducting states of YFe_{2}Ge_{2}.

Spin-orbit coupled molecular quantum magnetism realized in inorganic solid.

Molecular quantum magnetism involving an isolated spin state is of particular interest due to the characteristic quantum phenomena underlying spin qubits or molecular spintronics for quantum information devices, as demonstrated in magnetic metal-organic molecular systems, the so-called molecular magnets. Here we report the molecular quantum magnetism realized in an inorganic solid Ba3Yb2Zn5O11 with spin-orbit coupled pseudospin-½ Yb(3+) ions. The magnetization represents the magnetic quantum values of an isolated Yb4 tetrahedron with a total (pseudo)spin 0, 1 and 2. Inelastic neutron scattering results reveal that a large Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction originating from strong spin-orbit coupling of Yb 4f is a key ingredient to explain magnetic excitations of the molecular magnet states. The Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction allows a non-adiabatic quantum transition between avoided crossing energy levels, and also results in unexpected magnetic behaviours in conventional molecular magnets.

Emergence of superconductivity in the canonical heavy-electron metal YbRh2Si2.

The smooth disappearance of antiferromagnetic order in strongly correlated metals commonly furnishes the development of unconventional superconductivity. The canonical heavy-electron compound YbRh2Si2 seems to represent an apparent exception from this quantum critical paradigm in that it is not a superconductor at temperature T ≥ 10 millikelvin (mK). Here we report magnetic and calorimetric measurements on YbRh2Si2, down to temperatures as low as T ≈ 1 mK. The data reveal the development of nuclear antiferromagnetic order slightly above 2 mK and of heavy-electron superconductivity almost concomitantly with this order. Our results demonstrate that superconductivity in the vicinity of quantum criticality is a general phenomenon.

Large magnetocaloric effect and adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration with YbPt2Sn.

Adiabatic demagnetization is currently gaining strong interest in searching for alternatives to (3)He-based refrigeration techniques for achieving temperatures below 2 K. The main reasons for that are the recent shortage and high price of the rare helium isotope (3)He. Here we report the discovery of a large magnetocaloric effect in the intermetallic compound YbPt2Sn, which allows adiabatic demagnetization cooling from 2 K down to 0.2 K. We demonstrate this with a home-made refrigerator. Other materials, for example, paramagnetic salts, are commonly used for the same purpose but none of them is metallic, a severe limitation for low-temperature applications. YbPt2Sn is a good metal with an extremely rare weak magnetic coupling between the Yb atoms, which prevents them from ordering above 0.25 K, leaving enough entropy free for use in adiabatic demagnetization cooling. The large volumetric entropy capacity of YbPt2Sn guarantees also a good cooling power.

Ferromagnetic quantum critical point in the heavy-fermion metal YbNi4(P(1-x)As(x))2.

Unconventional superconductivity and other previously unknown phases of matter exist in the vicinity of a quantum critical point (QCP): a continuous phase change of matter at absolute zero. Intensive theoretical and experimental investigations on itinerant systems have shown that metallic ferromagnets tend to develop via either a first-order phase transition or through the formation of intermediate superconducting or inhomogeneous magnetic phases. Here, through precision low-temperature measurements, we show that the Grüneisen ratio of the heavy fermion metallic ferromagnet YbNi(4)(P(0.92)As(0.08))(2) diverges upon cooling to T = 0, indicating a ferromagnetic QCP. Our observation that this kind of instability, which is forbidden in d-electron metals, occurs in a heavy fermion system will have a large impact on the studies of quantum critical materials.

Thermal and electrical transport across a magnetic quantum critical point.

A quantum critical point (QCP) arises when a continuous transition between competing phases occurs at zero temperature. Collective excitations at magnetic QCPs give rise to metallic properties that strongly deviate from the expectations of Landau's Fermi-liquid description, which is the standard theory of electron correlations in metals. Central to this theory is the notion of quasiparticles, electronic excitations that possess the quantum numbers of the non-interacting electrons. Here we report measurements of thermal and electrical transport across the field-induced magnetic QCP in the heavy-fermion compound YbRh(2)Si(2) (refs 2, 3). We show that the ratio of the thermal to electrical conductivities at the zero-temperature limit obeys the Wiedemann-Franz law for magnetic fields above the critical field at which the QCP is attained. This is also expected for magnetic fields below the critical field, where weak antiferromagnetic order and a Fermi-liquid phase form below 0.07 K (at zero field). At the critical field, however, the low-temperature electrical conductivity exceeds the thermal conductivity by about 10 per cent, suggestive of a non-Fermi-liquid ground state. This apparent violation of the Wiedemann-Franz law provides evidence for an unconventional type of QCP at which the fundamental concept of Landau quasiparticles no longer holds. These results imply that Landau quasiparticles break up, and that the origin of this disintegration is inelastic scattering associated with electronic quantum critical fluctuations--these insights could be relevant to understanding other deviations from Fermi-liquid behaviour frequently observed in various classes of correlated materials.

Single-Ion Kondo scaling of the coherent Fermi liquid regime in Ce(1-x)La(x)Ni2Ge2.

Thermodynamic and transport properties of the La-diluted Kondo lattice CeNi(2)Ge(2) were studied in a wide temperature range. The Ce-rich alloys Ce(1-x)La(x)Ni(2)Ge(2) were found to exhibit distinct features of the coherent heavy Fermi liquid. At intermediate compositions (0.7≤x≤0.9), non-Fermi liquid properties have been observed, followed by the local Fermi liquid behavior in the dilute limit. The 4f-electron contribution to the specific heat was found to follow the predictions of the Kondo-impurity model in both the local as well as the coherent regimes, with the characteristic Kondo temperature decreasing rapidly from about 30 K for the parent compound CeNi(2)Ge(2) to about 1 K in the most dilute samples. The specific heat does not show any evidence for the emergence of a new characteristic energy scale related to the formation of the coherent Kondo lattice.