Antiferromagnetic critical pressure in URu2Si2 under hydrostatic conditions

The onset of antiferromagnetic order in URu2Si2 has been studied via neutron diffraction in a helium pressure medium, which most closely approximates hydrostatic conditions. The antiferromagnetic critical pressure is 0.80 GPa, considerably higher than values previously reported. Complementary electrical resistivity measurements imply that the hidden order-antiferromagnetic bicritical point far exceeds 1.02 GPa. Moreover, the redefined pressure-temperature phase diagram suggests that the superconducting and antiferromagnetic phase boundaries actually meet at a common critical pressure at zero temperature.Comment: 5 pgs, 4 figs; AFM ordered moment revised to 0.5 muB, added and corrected citations and reference

Limits on Superconductivity-Related Magnetization in Sr2_2RuO4_4 and PrOs4_4Sb12_{12} from Scanning SQUID Microscopy

We present scanning SQUID microscopy data on the superconductors Sr2RuO4 (Tc = 1.5 K) and PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ (Tc = 1.8 K). In both of these materials, superconductivity-related time-reversal symmetry-breaking fields have been observed by muon spin rotation; our aim was to visualize the structure of these fields. However in neither Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ nor PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ do we observe spontaneous superconductivity-related magnetization. In Sr$_2$RuO$_4$, many experimental results have been interpreted on the basis of a $px \pm ipy$ superconducting order parameter. This order parameter is expected to give spontaneous magnetic induction at sample edges and order parameter domain walls. Supposing large domains, our data restrict domain wall and edge fields to no more than ~0.1% and ~0.2% of the expected magnitude, respectively. Alternatively, if the magnetization is of the expected order, the typical domain size is limited to ~30 nm for random domains, or ~500 nm for periodic domains.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Crystalline Electric Field and Kondo Effect in SmOs4Sb12

Our ultrasound results obtained in pulsed magnetic fields show that the filled-skutterudite compound SmOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ has the $\Gamma_{67}$ quartet crystalline-electric-field ground state. This fact suggests that the multipolar degrees of freedom of the $\Gamma_{67}$ quartet play an important role in the unusual physical properties of this material. On the other hand, the elastic response below $\approx$ 20 T cannot be explained using the localized 4$f$-electron model, which does not take into account the Kondo effect or ferromagnetic ordering. The analysis result suggests the presence of a Kondo-like screened state at low magnetic fields and its suppression at high magnetic fields above 20 T even at low temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Spectroscopic determination of the atomic f-electron symmetry underlying hidden order in URu2_2Si2_2

The low temperature hidden order state of URu$_2$Si$_2$ has long been a subject of intense speculation, and is thought to represent an as yet undetermined many-body quantum state not realized by other known materials. Here, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and high resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) are used to observe electronic excitation spectra of URu$_2$Si$_2$, as a means to identify the degrees of freedom available to constitute the hidden order wavefunction. Excitations are shown to have symmetries that derive from a correlated $5f^2$ atomic multiplet basis that is modified by itinerancy. The features, amplitude and temperature dependence of linear dichroism are in agreement with ground states that closely resemble the doublet $\Gamma_5$ crystal field state of uranium

Search for pressure induced superconductivity in CeFeAsO and CeFePO iron pnictides

The CeFeAsO and CeFePO iron pnictide compounds were studied via electrical transport measurements under high-pressure. In CeFeAsO polycrystals, the magnetic phases involving the Fe and Ce ions coexist up to 15 GPa, with no signs of pressure-induced superconductivity up to 50 GPa. For the CeFePO single crystals, pressure stabilizes the Kondo screening of the Ce 4f-electron magnetic moments.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Figure 1 is now separated into Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 to separate piston-cylinder and anvil pressure techniques. Updated reference list. Modified Fig.