Quantum critical point followed by Kondo-like behavior due to Cu substitution in itinerant, antiferromagnet ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$

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Main Authors: Das, Atreyee, Mohamed, Siham, Ribeiro, Raquel A., Slade, Tyler J., Schmidt, Juan, Setty, Chandan, Bud'ko, Sergey L., Canfield, Paul C.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Das, Atreyee
Mohamed, Siham
Ribeiro, Raquel A.
Slade, Tyler J.
Schmidt, Juan
Setty, Chandan
Bud'ko, Sergey L.
Canfield, Paul C.
author_facet Das, Atreyee
Mohamed, Siham
Ribeiro, Raquel A.
Slade, Tyler J.
Schmidt, Juan
Setty, Chandan
Bud'ko, Sergey L.
Canfield, Paul C.
contents $\text{La}_2 \text{Ni}_7$ is an itinerant magnetic system with a small ordered moment of $\sim$ 0.1 $μ_{B}/\text{Ni}$ and a series of antiferromagnetic (AFM) transitions at $T_1$ = 61.0 K, $T_2$ = 56.5 K and $T_3$ = 42.2 K. $M(H)$, and $ρ(H)$ isotherms as well as constant field $M(T)$ and $ρ(T)$ measurements on single crystalline samples manifest a complex, anisotropic $H-T$ phase diagram with multiple phase lines. Here we present the growth and characterization of single crystals of the ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$ series for 0 $\leq x \leq$ 0.181. We measured powder x-ray diffraction, and composition, as well as anisotropic $R(H,T)$, $M(H,T)$, and $C_p(T)$ on these single crystals. Using the measured data, we infer a $(T-x)$ phase diagram to study the evolution of the AFM ordering upon Cu substitution. For ${0 \leq x \leq 0.097}$, the system remains magnetically ordered at base temperature with $x \leq$ 0.012, showing signs of multiple AFM ordering temperatures. For the higher substitution levels, ${0.125 \leq x \leq 0.181}$, there are no signatures of magnetic ordering, but anomalous features in $R(T)$ and $C_p(T)$ data are observed which are consistent with the Kondo effect in this system. The intermediate $x$ = 0.105 sample lies between the magnetic ordered and the Kondo regime and is in the vicinity of the AFM-quantum critical point (QCP). Thus, ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$ is an example of a small moment system that can be tuned through a QCP. Given these data combined with the fact that the $\text{La}_2 \text{Ni}_7$ structure has kagome-like, Ni-sublattices running perpendicular to the crystallographic $c$ axis, and a predicted $3d$-electron flat band that contributes to the density of states near the Fermi energy, ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$ becomes a promising system to host and study exotic physics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_11872
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantum critical point followed by Kondo-like behavior due to Cu substitution in itinerant, antiferromagnet ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$
Das, Atreyee
Mohamed, Siham
Ribeiro, Raquel A.
Slade, Tyler J.
Schmidt, Juan
Setty, Chandan
Bud'ko, Sergey L.
Canfield, Paul C.
Strongly Correlated Electrons
$\text{La}_2 \text{Ni}_7$ is an itinerant magnetic system with a small ordered moment of $\sim$ 0.1 $μ_{B}/\text{Ni}$ and a series of antiferromagnetic (AFM) transitions at $T_1$ = 61.0 K, $T_2$ = 56.5 K and $T_3$ = 42.2 K. $M(H)$, and $ρ(H)$ isotherms as well as constant field $M(T)$ and $ρ(T)$ measurements on single crystalline samples manifest a complex, anisotropic $H-T$ phase diagram with multiple phase lines. Here we present the growth and characterization of single crystals of the ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$ series for 0 $\leq x \leq$ 0.181. We measured powder x-ray diffraction, and composition, as well as anisotropic $R(H,T)$, $M(H,T)$, and $C_p(T)$ on these single crystals. Using the measured data, we infer a $(T-x)$ phase diagram to study the evolution of the AFM ordering upon Cu substitution. For ${0 \leq x \leq 0.097}$, the system remains magnetically ordered at base temperature with $x \leq$ 0.012, showing signs of multiple AFM ordering temperatures. For the higher substitution levels, ${0.125 \leq x \leq 0.181}$, there are no signatures of magnetic ordering, but anomalous features in $R(T)$ and $C_p(T)$ data are observed which are consistent with the Kondo effect in this system. The intermediate $x$ = 0.105 sample lies between the magnetic ordered and the Kondo regime and is in the vicinity of the AFM-quantum critical point (QCP). Thus, ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$ is an example of a small moment system that can be tuned through a QCP. Given these data combined with the fact that the $\text{La}_2 \text{Ni}_7$ structure has kagome-like, Ni-sublattices running perpendicular to the crystallographic $c$ axis, and a predicted $3d$-electron flat band that contributes to the density of states near the Fermi energy, ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$ becomes a promising system to host and study exotic physics.
title Quantum critical point followed by Kondo-like behavior due to Cu substitution in itinerant, antiferromagnet ${\text{La}_{2}\text{(Cu}_{x}\text {Ni}_{1-x})_7}$
topic Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.11872