Distinct itinerant spin-density waves and local-moment antiferromagnetism in an intermetallic ErPd2Si2 single crystal

作者：Li, Hai-Feng^*; Cao, Chongde; Wildes, Andrew; Schmidt, Wolfgang; Schmalzl, Karin; Hou, Binyang; Regnault, Louis-Pierre; Zhang, Cong; Meuffels, Paul; Loeser, Wolfgang; Roth, Georg

来源：Scientific Reports, 2015, 5(1): 7968.

DOI：10.1038/srep07968

• MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES
• 5F ELECTRONS
• DUAL NATURE
• SUPERCONDUCTOR
• TEMPERATURE
• DYNAMICS
• CHARGE
• ORDER
• MOSSBAUER
• EXCHANGE

Identifying the nature of magnetism, itinerant or localized, remains a major challenge in condensed-matter science. Purely localized moments appear only in magnetic insulators, whereas itinerant moments more or less co-exist with localized moments in metallic compounds such as the doped-cuprate or the iron-based superconductors, hampering a thorough understanding of the role of magnetism in phenomena like superconductivity or magnetoresistance. Here we distinguish two antiferromagnetic modulations with respective propagation wave vectors at Q(+/-) = (H +/- 0.557(1), 0, L +/- 0.150(1)) and Q(C) = (H +/- 0.564(1), 0, L), where (H, L) are allowed Miller indices, in an ErPd2Si2 single crystal by neutron scattering and establish their respective temperature-and field-dependent phase diagrams. The modulations can co-exist but also compete depending on temperature or applied field strength. They couple differently with the underlying lattice albeit with associated moments in a common direction. The Q(+/-) modulation may be attributed to localized 4f moments while the Q(C) correlates well with itinerant conduction bands, supported by our transport studies. Hence, ErPd2Si2 represents a new model compound that displays clearly-separated itinerant and localized moments, substantiating early theoretical predictions and providing a unique platform allowing the study of itinerant electron behavior in a localized antiferromagnetic matrix.

• 出版日期2015-1-22
• 单位西北工业大学; 中国地震局