Fermi Surface of Alpha-Uranium at Ambient Pressure

TL;DR

This study uses quantum oscillation measurements to map the Fermi surface of alpha-uranium at ambient pressure, revealing effects of charge density waves and suggesting a potential quantum critical point related to superconductivity.

Contribution

First detailed de Haas-van Alphen measurements of alpha-uranium's Fermi surface within the charge density wave state at ambient pressure.

Findings

Quantum oscillations observed within the alpha-3 CDW state.

No superconductivity detected down to 0.020 K.

Effective masses and Dingle temperature measured.

Abstract

We have performed de Haas-van Alphen measurements of the Fermi surface of alpha-uranium single crystals at ambient pressure within the alpha-3 charge density wave (CDW) state from 0.020 K - 10 K and magnetic fields to 35 T using torque magnetometry. The angular dependence of the resulting frequencies is described. Effective masses were measured and the Dingle temperature was determined to be 0.74 K +/- 0.04 K. The observation of quantum oscillations within the alpha-3 CDW state gives new insight into the effect of the charge density waves on the Fermi surface. In addition we observed no signature of superconductivity in either transport or magnetization down to 0.020 K indicating the possibility of a pressure-induced quantum critical point that separates the superconducting dome from the normal CDW phase.