Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2
Abstract The strongly correlated actinide metal URu2Si2 exhibits a mean field-like second order phase transition at T o ≈ 17 K, yet lacks definitive signatures of a broken symmetry. Meanwhile, various experiments have also shown the electronic energy gap to closely resemble that resulting from hybri...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2021-03-01
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| Series: | npj Quantum Materials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00317-6 |
| _version_ | 1818428910312882176 |
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| author | Neil Harrison Satya K. Kushwaha Mun K. Chan Marcelo Jaime |
| author_facet | Neil Harrison Satya K. Kushwaha Mun K. Chan Marcelo Jaime |
| author_sort | Neil Harrison |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The strongly correlated actinide metal URu2Si2 exhibits a mean field-like second order phase transition at T o ≈ 17 K, yet lacks definitive signatures of a broken symmetry. Meanwhile, various experiments have also shown the electronic energy gap to closely resemble that resulting from hybridization between conduction electron and 5f-electron states. We argue here, using thermodynamic measurements, that the above seemingly incompatible observations can be jointly understood by way of proximity to an entropy-driven critical point, in which the latent heat of a valence-type electronic instability is quenched by thermal excitations across a gap, driving the transition second order. Salient features of such a transition include a robust gap spanning highly degenerate features in the electronic density of states, that is weakly (if at all) suppressed by temperature on approaching T o, and an elliptical phase boundary in magnetic field and temperature that is Pauli paramagnetically limited at its critical magnetic field. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:09:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7463fb982ce4722896306a765f3e685 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-4648 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:09:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Quantum Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7463fb982ce4722896306a765f3e6852022-12-21T22:56:37ZengNature Portfolionpj Quantum Materials2397-46482021-03-016111010.1038/s41535-021-00317-6Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2Neil Harrison0Satya K. Kushwaha1Mun K. Chan2Marcelo Jaime3MPA-MAGLAB, Los Alamos National LaboratoryMPA-MAGLAB, Los Alamos National LaboratoryMPA-MAGLAB, Los Alamos National LaboratoryMPA-MAGLAB, Los Alamos National LaboratoryAbstract The strongly correlated actinide metal URu2Si2 exhibits a mean field-like second order phase transition at T o ≈ 17 K, yet lacks definitive signatures of a broken symmetry. Meanwhile, various experiments have also shown the electronic energy gap to closely resemble that resulting from hybridization between conduction electron and 5f-electron states. We argue here, using thermodynamic measurements, that the above seemingly incompatible observations can be jointly understood by way of proximity to an entropy-driven critical point, in which the latent heat of a valence-type electronic instability is quenched by thermal excitations across a gap, driving the transition second order. Salient features of such a transition include a robust gap spanning highly degenerate features in the electronic density of states, that is weakly (if at all) suppressed by temperature on approaching T o, and an elliptical phase boundary in magnetic field and temperature that is Pauli paramagnetically limited at its critical magnetic field.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00317-6 |
| spellingShingle | Neil Harrison Satya K. Kushwaha Mun K. Chan Marcelo Jaime Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2 npj Quantum Materials |
| title | Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2 |
| title_full | Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2 |
| title_fullStr | Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2 |
| title_short | Proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in URu2Si2 |
| title_sort | proximity to a critical point driven by electronic entropy in uru2si2 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41535-021-00317-6 |
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