Anomalous magnetic transition in a disordered quasicrystal approximant with heavy-fermion nature

TL;DR

This study uncovers an unusual magnetic transition in a disordered quasicrystal approximant with heavy-fermion characteristics, showing coexistence of static order and dynamic anomalies, likely driven by disorder and Kondo interactions.

Contribution

It reveals a novel magnetic transition in a disordered quasicrystal approximant, not fitting conventional magnetic or spin glass classifications, linked to disorder and Kondo effects.

Findings

Coexistence of static magnetic order and frequency-dependent susceptibility anomaly.

The transition is distinct from conventional magnetic or spin glass transitions.

Disorder and Kondo interactions likely induce the anomalous transition.

Abstract

Quasicrystal approximant (CexY1-x)Cd6 (0 < x < 1) forms a network of corner-sharing octahedra. We report that (Ce0.8Y0.2)Cd6 exhibits an anomalous magnetic transition which can be classified neither into the conventional static magnetic ordering nor into spin glasses. The anomalous transition is characterized by the coexistence of a static order and a frequency-dependent sharp positive anomaly in the 3rd-harmonic susceptibility. Based on the investigation of the reference systems CeCd6 and (Ce0.05Y0.95)Cd6, we speculate that the anomalous transition could be induced by disorder in the possible frustrated Ce-network in the presence of the Kondo effect.