2023/08/29 by Jacintha Banda, D. Hafner, Banda, J. +15
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Magnetic Properties of Alloys #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Rare-earth and actinide compounds #Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2308.15294
openalex publication_date 2023/08/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present here a rare example of electronuclear quantum criticality in a metal. The compound YbCu4.6Au0.4 is located at an unconventional quantum critical point (QCP). In this material the relevant Kondo and RKKY exchange interactions are very weak, of the order of 1 K. Furthermore, there is strong competition between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic correlations, possibly due to geometrical frustration within the fcc Yb sublattice. This causes strong spin fluctuations which prevent the system to order magnetically. Because of the very low Kondo temperature the Yb3+ 4f-electrons couple weakly with the conduction electrons allowing the coupling to the nuclear moments of the 171Yb and 173Yb isotopes to become important. Thus, the quantum critical fluctuations observed at the QCP do not originate from purely electronic states but from entangled electronuclear states. This is evidenced by the anomalous temperature and field dependence of the specific heat at low temperatures.