Anomalous itinerant magnetism in single crystal Sr4Ru3O10: A thermodynamic and transport investigation

TL;DR

This study investigates the thermodynamic and transport properties of Sr4Ru3O10, revealing anisotropic magnetic behavior, quantum criticality, and unusual low-temperature phenomena that suggest new physics in itinerant magnetism.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed thermodynamic and transport analysis of Sr4Ru3O10, uncovering anisotropic magnetic transitions and potential quantum critical behavior.

Findings

Specific heat increases with magnetic field

Logarithmic temperature dependence in C/T at low T

Anisotropic magnetic transitions at 2.90 T and 7 T

Abstract

A thermodynamic and transport study of Sr4Ru3O10 as a function of temperature and magnetic field is presented. The central results include a growing specific heat C with increasing field B, a magnetic contribution to C/T at low temperatures proportional to -log(T), an abrupt jump and a peak in C/T at 2.90 T and 7 T for B||ab-plane and B||c-axis, respectively, and corresponding changes in the low T power laws of the resistivity. The novelty of this work lies in the fact that this system is strongly anisotropic displaying spontaneous ferromagnetism along the c-axis and an intralayer metamagnetic transition with a possibility of a nearby quantum critical point. The exotic behavior reflects new physics that is yet to be understood.