Open AccessA mechanism for the strange metal phase in rare-earth intermetallic compounds
Author(s) -
Jiangfan Wang,
Yung-Yeh Chang,
Chung-Hou Chung
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2116980119
Subject(s) - condensed matter physics , intermetallic , physics , antiferromagnetism , quantum phases , quantum , quantum phase transition , ground state , strongly correlated material , kondo effect , scattering , quantum fluctuation , spin (aerodynamics) , neutron scattering , phase transition , electron , quantum mechanics , chemistry , thermodynamics , alloy , organic chemistry
Significance The elusive strange metal phase (ground state) was observed in a variety of quantum materials, notably inf -electron–based rare-earth intermetallic compounds. Its emergence has remained unclear. Here, we propose a generic mechanism for this phenomenon driven by the interplay of the gapless fermionic short-ranged antiferromagnetic spin correlation and critical bosonic charge fluctuations near a Kondo breakdown quantum phase transition. It is manifested as a fluctuating Kondo-scattering–stabilized critical (gapless) fermionic spin liquid. It showsω / T scaling in dynamical electron scattering rate, a signature of quantum criticality. Our results on quasilinear-in-temperature scattering rate and logarithmic-in-temperature divergence in specific heat coefficient as temperature vanishes were recently seen in CePd1 − x Nix Al.