Quantum critical behavior in the heavy Fermion single crystal Ce(Ni$_{0.935}$Pd$_{0.065}$)$_2$Ge$_2$

TL;DR

This study investigates the quantum critical behavior of a heavy Fermion compound Ce(Ni$_{0.935}$Pd$_{0.065}$)$_2$Ge$_2$ through various measurements, revealing non-Fermi liquid behavior and magnetic fluctuations near a quantum critical point.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental evidence of quantum critical phenomena in Ce(Ni$_{0.935}$Pd$_{0.065}$)$_2$Ge$_2$, including susceptibility, specific heat, resistivity, and neutron scattering data.

Findings

Magnetic susceptibility follows T^{-1/6} at low temperatures.

Specific heat fits a T^{1/2} dependence, indicating non-Fermi liquid behavior.

Resistivity varies as T^{3/2} below 2 K, consistent with SCR theory.

Abstract

We have performed magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, resistivity, and inelastic neutron scattering measurements on a single crystal of the heavy Fermion compound Ce(Ni$_{0.935}$Pd$_{0.065}$)$_2$Ge$_2$, which is believed to be close to a quantum critical point (QCP) at T = 0. At lowest temperature(1.8-3.5 K), the magnetic susceptibility behaves as $\chi(T)-\chi (0)$ $\propto$ $T^{-1/6}$ with $\chi (0) = 0.032 \times 10^{-6}$ m$^3$/mole (0.0025 emu/mole). For $T<$ 1 K, the specific heat can be fit to the formula $\Delta C/T = \gamma_0 - T^{1/2}$ with $\gamma_0$ of order 700 mJ/mole-K$^2$. The resistivity behaves as $\rho = \rho_0 + AT^{3/2}$ for temperatures below 2 K. This low temperature behavior for $\gamma (T)$ and $\rho (T)$ is in accord with the SCR theory of Moriya and Takimoto\cite{Moriya}. The inelastic neutron scattering spectra show a broad peak near 1.5 meV that appears to be independent of $Q$; we interpret this as Kondo scattering with $T_K =$ 17 K. In addition, the scattering is enhanced near $Q$=(1/2, 1/2, 0) with maximum scattering at $\Delta E$ = 0.45 meV; we interpret this as scattering from antiferromagnetic fluctuations near the antiferromagnetic QCP.