Pressure Induced Change in the Magnetic Modulation of CeRhIn5

TL;DR

This study investigates how applying pressure affects the magnetic structure of CeRhIn5, revealing a sudden change in magnetic modulation at 10 kbar, which may indicate an electronic phase transition.

Contribution

First neutron diffraction study showing pressure-induced change in magnetic modulation of CeRhIn5 at 10 kbar.

Findings

Magnetic wave vector remains unchanged up to 8.6 kbar.

Sudden change in magnetic structure at 10 kbar.

Magnetic transition temperature remains constant.

Abstract

We report the results of a high pressure neutron diffraction study of the heavy fermion compound CeRhIn5 down to 1.8 K. CeRhIn5 is known to order magnetically below 3.8 K with an incommensurate structure. The application of hydrostatic pressure up to 8.6 kbar produces no change in the magnetic wave vector qm. At 10 kbar of pressure however, a sudden change in the magnetic structure occurs. Although the magnetic transition temperature remains the same, qm increases from (0.5, 0.5, 0.298) to (0.5, 0.5, 0.396). This change in the magnetic modulation may be the outcome of a change in the electronic character of this material at 10 kbar.