Related papers: Quantum Criticality without Tuning in the Mixed Va…
Here we provide the first clear evidence of Fermi-liquid breakdown in an intermediate valence system. We employ high precision magnetization measurements of the valence fluctuating superconductor beta-YbAlB4 to probe the quantum critical…
We present the high-precision magnetization data of the valence fluctuating heavy fermion superconductor $\beta$-YbAlB$_4$ in a wide temperature range from 0.02 K to 320 K spanning four orders of magnitude. We made detailed analyses of the…
A fundamental challenge to our current understanding of metals is the frequent observation of qualitative departures from Fermi liquid behavior. The standard view attributes such non-Fermi liquid phenomena to the scattering of electrons off…
Intermetallic compounds containing $f$-electron elements have been prototypical materials for investigating strong electron correlations and quantum criticality (QC). Their heavy fermion ground state evoked by the magnetic $f$-electrons is…
Progress of theories and experiments of the quantum valence criticality is overviewed focusing on recent discoveries of direct evidence of quantum critical point of valence transitions in periodic crystal $\alpha$-YbAl$_{1-x}$Fe$_x$B$_4$ at…
We propose a model for the intrinsic quantum criticality of {\beta}-YbAlB4, in which a vortex in momentum space gives rise to a new type of Fermi surface singularity. The unquenched angular momentum of the |J = 7/2,m_J = \pm5/2> Yb…
$\alpha$-YbAlB$_4$ is the locally isostructural polymorph of $\beta$-YbAlB$_4$, the first example of an Yb-based heavy fermion superconductor which exhibits pronounced non-Fermi-liquid behavior above $T_{\rm c}$. Interestingly, both…
The canonical view of heavy fermion quantum criticality assumes a single quantum critical point separating the paramagnet from the antiferromagnet. However, recent experiments on Yb-based heavy fermion compounds suggest the presence of…
The mechanism of emergence of robust quantum criticality in Yb- and Ce-based heavy electron systems under pressure is analyzed theoretically. By constructing a minimal model for quasicrystal Yb15Al34Au51 and its approximant, we show that…
One of the greatest challenges to Landau's Fermi liquid theory - the standard theory of metals - is presented by complex materials with strong electronic correlations. In these materials, non-Fermi liquid transport and thermodynamic…
Quantum critical systems derive their finite temperature properties from the influence of a zero temperature quantum phase transition. The paradigm is essential for understanding unconventional high-Tc superconductors and the non-Fermi…
Electronic structures of the quantum critical superconductor beta-YbAlB4 and its polymorph alpha-YbAlB4 are investigated by using bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. From the Yb 3d core level spectra, the values of the Yb…
Quantum criticality due to the valence transition in some Yb-based heavy fermion metals has gradually turned out to play a crucial role to understand the non-Fermi liquid properties that cannot be understood from the conventional quantum…
We have studied the evolution of the weakly first order antiferromagnetic transition in heavy fermion Yb$_3$Pt$_4$ using a combination of specific heat, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity experiments. We show that magnetic…
Quantum criticality arises when a macroscopic phase of matter undergoes a continuous transformation at zero temperature. While the collective fluctuations at quantum-critical points are being increasingly recognized as playing an important…
The origin of intrinsic quantum criticality in the heavy-fermion superconductor $\beta$-YbAlB$_4$ has been attributed to strong Yb valence fluctuations and its peculiar crystal structure. Here, we assess these contributions individually by…
We review the anomalous properties of heavy fermion compounds like CeCu$_{6-x}$Au$_x$ or CeMIn$_5$ close to a zero temperature phase transition called a quantum critical point. Anomalous behavior of the resistivity, specific heat and…
Quantum criticality describes the collective fluctuations of matter undergoing a second-order phase transition at zero temperature. Heavy fermion metals have in recent years emerged as prototypical systems to study quantum critical points.…
Metallic quantum criticality is frequently discussed as a source for non-Fermi liquid behavior, but controlled theoretical treatments are scarce. Here we identify and study a novel magnetic quantum critical point in a two-dimensional…
A new universality class of quantum criticality emerging in itinerant electron systems with strong local electron correlations is discussed. The quantum criticality of a Ce- or Yb-valence transition gives us a unified explanation for…