Nematic State in CeAuSb2

Author(s):Show less -

Seo, S. ^[1] ; Wang, Xiaoyu ^[2] ; Thomas, S. M. ^[1] ; Rahn, M. C. ^{[1, 3]} ; Carmo, D. ^[4] ; Ronning, F. ^[1] ; Bauer, E. D. ^[1] ; dos Reis, R. D. ^[4] ; Janoschek, M. ^{[1, 5]} ; Thompson, J. D. ^[1] ; Fernandes, R. M. ^[6] ; Rosa, P. F. S. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos, NM 87545 - USA

^[2] Univ Chicago, James Franck Inst, Chicago, IL 60615 - USA

^[3] Tech Univ Dresden, Inst Solid State & Mat Phys, D-01062 Dresden - Germany

^[4] Brazilian Synchrotron Light Lab LNLS, BR-13083100 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Paul Scherrer Inst, Lab Sci Dev & Novel Mat, CH-5232 Villigen - Switzerland

^[6] Univ Minnesota, Sch Phys & Astron, Minneapolis, MN 55455 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PHYSICAL REVIEW X; v. 10, n. 1 FEB 13 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

At ambient pressure and zero field, tetragonal CeAuSb2 hosts stripe antiferromagnetic order at T-N = 6.3 K. Here, we first show via bulk thermodynamic probes and x-ray diffraction measurements that this magnetic order is connected with a structural phase transition to a superstructure that likely breaks C-4 symmetry, thus signaling nematic order. The temperature-field-pressure phase diagram of CeAuSb2 subsequently reveals the emergence of additional ordered states under applied pressure at a multicritical point. Our phenomenological model supports the presence of a vestigial nematic phase in CeAuSb2 akin to iron-based high-temperature superconductors; however, superconductivity, if present, remains to be discovered. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/22883-5 - Unconventional phases of actinide compounds under extreme conditions
• Grantee: Danusa do Carmo
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/00823-0 - New topological states of matter under extreme conditions
• Grantee: Ricardo Donizeth dos Reis
• Support type: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants