Ultrasonic investigation of the novel magnetic-field-induced phase transition in praseodymium compounds

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26800189
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Condensed matter physics II
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Ishii Isao 広島大学, 先端物質科学研究科, 助教 (20444713)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 非磁性二重項 / 電気四極子 / 磁場誘起相転移

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate the novel magnetic-field-induced phase transition in praseodymium compounds with non-magnetic ground state doublet, we carried out ultrasonic measurements up to 28 tesla and down to 0.02 Kelvin. Here, the ultrasonic technique is a powerful tool for studying electric quadrupole degrees of freedom. We found a clear anomaly at the phase transition in the magnetic-field dependence of the elastic modulus corresponding to the ground state doublet, suggesting that electric quadrupole degrees of freedom play an important role for the phase transition. We also clarified existence of the endpoint of the phase transition around 2 Kelvin from the detailed magnetic field-temperature phase diagram obtained. The origin of the magnetic-field-induced phase transition might be related to exclusion of the vibronic state, which arises from a coupling between degenerate f-electron orbitals and dynamical phonons, by increasing the magnetic-field.

Free Research Field

物理学