The bilayer ruthenate Sr_3Ru_2O_7 has been cited as a textbook example of itinerant metamagnetic quantum criticality. However, recent studies of the ultra-pure system have revealed striking anomalies in magnetism and transport in the vicinity of the quantum critical point. Drawing on new experimental data, we propose that the anomalous phase behavior can be accommodated by a mechanism which relies on the effects of strong magnetoelastic coupling. We argue that the phenomenological theory identified here is more generic and raises the possibility of quantum tricritical behaviour.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0410470,
title = {Phase Bifurcation and Quantum Fluctuations in Sr3Ru2O7},
author = {A. G. Green and S. A. Grigera and R. A. Borzi and A. P. Mackenzie and R. S. Perry and B. D. Simons},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0410470},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
5pages, 4 figures. Text revised for clarity and some more experimental data included