Quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surfaces of the heavy-fermion superconductor Ce$_2$PdIn$_8$

TL;DR

This study investigates the Fermi surface properties of the heavy-fermion superconductor Ce$_2$PdIn$_8$ using quantum oscillation measurements, revealing quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surfaces and itinerant 4f electrons, which relate to its superconducting behavior.

Contribution

The paper provides the first detailed experimental characterization of the Fermi surfaces in Ce$_2$PdIn$_8$, highlighting the quasi-two-dimensional nature and itinerant 4f electrons, and compares these with band-structure calculations.

Findings

Fermi surfaces are quasi-two-dimensional.

4f electrons are itinerant.

Moderately enhanced cyclotron masses.

Abstract

We report low-temperature de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect measurements in magnetic fields up to 35 T of the heavy-fermion superconductor Ce$_2$PdIn$_8$. The comparison of the experimental results with band-structure calculations implies that the 4$f$ electrons are itinerant rather than localized. The cyclotron masses estimated at high field are only moderately enhanced, 8 and 14 $m_0$, but are substantially larger than the corresponding band masses. The observed angular dependence of the dHvA frequencies suggests quasi-two-dimensional Fermi surfaces in agreement with band-structure calculations. However, the deviation from ideal two dimensionality is larger than in CeCoIn$_5$, with which Ce$_2$PdIn$_8$ bears a lot of similarities. This subtle distinction accounts for the different superconducting critical temperatures of the two compounds.