Kondo resonance narrowing in d- and f-electron systems

A multi-orbital Hund's rules-based ionic Hamiltonian for transition metal atoms: high-order equation of motion method approach and Kondo resonances

A multi-orbital ionic Hamiltonian is presented to analyze the many-body properties of the d-transition metal atoms. This Hamiltonian considers all the atomic states obeying the first Hund's rule and also includes all orbital degeneracy, as well as the interaction of the atom with a metal. We analyze the solution of this ionic Hamiltonian by means of the equation of Motion method up to the fourth order,V4, in the atom-metal interaction. Equations for the appropriate Green-functions for analyzing the chemical and transport properties of the system are given for different atom occupancies. In particular, we introduce a full analysis of the multi-orbital Hamiltonian including atomic configurations withN, N+ 1 andN- 1 electrons, and discuss its Kondo properties. The shellsd1,d2andd3are analyzed in detail and Kondo energies are deduced in all these cases showing good agreement with the conventional known results.

Quenched Pair Breaking by Interlayer Correlations as a Key to Superconductivity in La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7}

The recent discovery of superconductivity in La_{3}Ni_{2}O_{7} with T_{c}≃80  K under high pressure opens up a new route to high-T_{c} superconductivity. This material realizes a bilayer square lattice model featuring a strong interlayer hybridization unlike many unconventional superconductors. A key question in this regard concerns how electronic correlations driven by the interlayer hybridization affect the low-energy electronic structure and the concomitant superconductivity. Here, we demonstrate using a cluster dynamical mean-field theory that the interlayer electronic correlations (IECs) induce a Lifshitz transition resulting in a change of Fermi surface topology. By solving an appropriate gap equation, we further show that the leading pairing instability, s± wave, is enhanced by the IECs. The underlying mechanism is the quenching of a strong ferromagnetic channel, resulting from the Lifshitz transition driven by the IECs. Based on this picture, we provide a possible reason of why superconductivity emerges only under high pressure.

Electron correlation and relativistic effects on the electronic properties of a plutonium and americium mixed oxide (PuAmO4): from single-particle approximation to dynamical mean-field theory

First-principles calculations were performed on a plutonium and americium mixed oxide (PuAmO4), aiming at revealing the effects of electron correlation, Pu/Am 5f-conduction electrons' hybridization, and relativity on its electronic properties. The many-body calculation suggests that the spin-orbit-coupling (SOC)-splitting of j = 5/2 and j = 7/2 manifolds are both in the weakly and moderately correlated states, respectively, implying that the jj coupling scheme is more appropriate for Pu/Am 5f electrons. The density of states, 5f occupation numbers, and Green's functions all suggest that both Pu and Am 5f electrons exhibit the coexistence of the localized and delocalized states. The admixture of 5fn atomic configurations, Pu/Am 5f-conduction electrons' hybridization, and dual characteristics of 5f electrons yield average occupation numbers of 5f electrons n5f = 4.78 and 5.86 for Pu and Am ions, respectively. Within the DFT+DMFT calculation, the weighted-summation-derived occupation numbers in terms of 5f4/5f5/5f6 and 5f5/5f6 configurations for Pu and Am 5f electrons, respectively, are in reasonable agreement with those of other DFT-based calculations.

Truncated mass divergence in a Mott metal

The Mott metal-insulator transition represents one of the most fundamental phenomena in condensed matter physics. Yet, basic tenets of the canonical Brinkman-Rice picture of Mott localization remain to be tested experimentally by quantum oscillation measurements that directly probe the quasiparticle Fermi surface and effective mass. By extending this technique to high pressure, we have examined the metallic state on the threshold of Mott localization in clean, undoped crystals of NiS2. We find that i) on approaching Mott localization, the quasiparticle mass is strongly enhanced, whereas the Fermi surface remains essentially unchanged; ii) the quasiparticle mass closely follows the divergent form predicted theoretically, establishing charge carrier slowdown as the driver for the metal-insulator transition; iii) this mass divergence is truncated by the metal-insulator transition, placing the Mott critical point inside the insulating section of the phase diagram. The inaccessibility of the Mott critical point in NiS2 parallels findings at the threshold of ferromagnetism in clean metallic systems, in which criticality at low temperature is almost universally interrupted by first-order transitions or novel emergent phases such as incommensurate magnetic order or unconventional superconductivity.

Observation of the Magnetic Ground State of the Two Smallest Triangular Nanographenes

Fusion of three benzene rings in a triangular fashion gives rise to the smallest open-shell graphene fragment, the phenalenyl radical, whose π-extension leads to an entire family of non-Kekulé triangular nanographenes with high-spin ground states. Here, we report the first synthesis of unsubstituted phenalenyl on a Au(111) surface, which is achieved by combining in-solution synthesis of the hydro-precursor and on-surface activation by atomic manipulation, using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope. Single-molecule structural and electronic characterizations confirm its open-shell S = 1/2 ground state that gives rise to Kondo screening on the Au(111) surface. In addition, we compare the phenalenyl's electronic properties with those of triangulene, the second homologue in the series, whose S = 1 ground state induces an underscreened Kondo effect. Our results set a new lower size limit in the on-surface synthesis of magnetic nanographenes that can serve as building blocks for the realization of new exotic quantum phases of matter.

Switching between Mott-Hubbard and Hund Physics in Moiré Quantum Simulators

Mott-Hubbard and Hund electron correlations have been realized thus far in separate classes of materials. Here, we show that a single moiré homobilayer encompasses both kinds of physics in a controllable manner. We develop a microscopic multiband model that we solve by dynamical mean-field theory to nonperturbatively address the local many-body correlations. We demonstrate how tuning with twist angle, dielectric screening, and hole density allows us to switch between Mott-Hubbard and Hund correlated states in a twisted WSe₂ bilayer. The underlying mechanism is based on controlling Coulomb-interaction-driven orbital polarization and the energetics of concomitant local singlet and triplet spin configurations. From a comparison to recent experimental transport data, we find signatures of a filling-controlled transition from a triplet charge-transfer insulator to a Hund-Mott metal. Our finding establishes twisted transition-metal dichalcogenides as a tunable platform for exotic phases of quantum matter emerging from large local spin moments.

Direct observation of kink evolution due to Hund's coupling on approach to metal-insulator transition in NiS2-xSex

Understanding characteristic energy scales is a fundamentally important issue in the study of strongly correlated systems. In multiband systems, an energy scale is affected not only by the effective Coulomb interaction but also by the Hund’s coupling. Direct observation of such energy scale has been elusive so far in spite of extensive studies. Here, we report the observation of a kink structure in the low energy dispersion of NiS_2−xSe_x and its characteristic evolution with x, by using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Dynamical mean field theory calculation combined with density functional theory confirms that this kink originates from Hund’s coupling. We find that the abrupt deviation from the Fermi liquid behavior in the electron self-energy results in the kink feature at low energy scale and that the kink is directly related to the coherence-incoherence crossover temperature scale. Our results mark the direct observation of the evolution of the characteristic temperature scale via kink features in the spectral function, which is the hallmark of Hund’s physics in the multiorbital system.

A decisive spectroscopic evidence of the Hund’s coupling energy scale in multi-orbital correlated systems has been lacking. Here, the authors identify a kink feature due to Hund´s coupling in the spectral function of NiS_2xSe_x as they track its evolution across the Mott-insulator transition.

Intermediate occupation numbers for 5f electrons in a Pu and U mixed oxide

In order to reveal the correlation effect on the electronic properties in particular 5f electron occupation numbers of Pu/U ions in a (Pu,U) mixed oxide-PuUO4, a first principles calculation is performed by using density functional theory (DFT) plus a dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) scheme with the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and on-site Coulomb repulsion for correlation effect due to localized Pu/U 5f orbitals. Results demonstrate that Pu/U 5f electron occupation numbers in the ground state of PuUO4 are mainly composed of 5f4/5f5 and 5f2/5f3 configurations, and exhibiting the intermediate occupation (IO) numbers with average 5f occupation numbers of about nf = 4.879 and 2.423 for Pu and U ions, respectively, irrespective of different Pu and U lattice sites in PuUO4. Pu 5f j = 5/2 and j = 7/2 components are in moderately and weakly correlated states, respectively, while U 5f j = 5/2 and j = 7/2 manifolds are both in weakly correlated states. jj and LS coupling schemes are feasible for Pu and U 5f electrons, respectively. In order to directly compare with the experimental angle-resolved photoemission spectrum (ARPES), we also estimate the momentum-resolved electronic spectrum function for this system.

Nonmetallic metal toward a pressure-induced bad-metal state in two-dimensional Cu3LiRu2O6

The two-dimensional honeycomb layered nonmetallic metal Cu₃LiRu₂O₆ exhibits Pauli-like paramagnetic and Mott variable range hopping semiconduction behaviors, which can be significantly suppressed toward a bad-metal state by pressure up to 35 GPa.

Exploring the Kondo Effect of an Extended Impurity with Chains of Co Adatoms in a Magnetic Field

Motivated by recent STM experiments, we explore the magnetic field induced Kondo effect that takes place at symmetry protected level crossings in finite Co adatom chains. We argue that the effective two-level system realized at a level crossing acts as an extended impurity coupled to the conduction electrons of the substrate by a distribution of Kondo couplings at the sites of the chain. Using auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo simulations, which quantitatively reproduce the field dependence of the zero-bias signal, we show that a proper Kondo resonance is present at the sites where the effective Kondo coupling dominates. Our modeling and numerical simulations provide a theoretical basis for the interpretation of the STM spectrum in terms of level crossings of the Co adatom chains.

Local magnetism, magnetic order and spin freezing in the 'nonmetallic metal' FeCrAs

We present the results of x-ray scattering and muon-spin relaxation ([Formula: see text]SR) measurements on the iron-pnictide compound FeCrAs. Polarized non-resonant magnetic x-ray scattering results reveal the 120° periodicity expected from the suggested three-fold symmetric, non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure. [Formula: see text]SR measurements indicate a magnetically ordered phase throughout the bulk of the material below [Formula: see text] K. There are signs of fluctuating magnetism in a narrow range of temperatures above [Formula: see text] involving low-energy excitations, while at temperatures well below [Formula: see text] behaviour characteristic of freezing of dynamics is observed, likely reflecting the effect of disorder in our polycrystalline sample. Using density functional theory we propose a distinct muon stopping site in this compound and assess the degree of distortion induced by the implanted muon.

Balancing Scattering Channels: A Panoscopic Approach toward Zero Temperature Coefficient of Resistance Using High-Entropy Alloys

Designing alloys with an accurate temperature-independent electrical response over a wide temperature range, specifically a low temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), remains a big challenge from a material design point of view. More than a century after their discovery, Constantan (Cu-Ni) and Manganin (Cu-Mn-Ni) alloys remain the top choice for strain gauge applications and high-quality resistors up to 473-573 K. Here, an average TCR is demonstrated that is up to ≈800 times smaller in the temperature range 5-300 K and >800 times smaller than for any of these standard materials over a wide temperature range (5 K < T < 1200 K). This is achieved for selected compositions of Al_x CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs), for which a strong correlation of the ultralow TCR is established with the underlying microstructure and its local composition. The exceptionally low electron-phonon coupling expected in these HEAs is crucial for developing novel devices, e.g., hot-electron detectors, high-Q resonant antennas, and materials in gravitational wave detectors.

Thermoelectricity in correlated narrow-gap semiconductors

We review many-body effects, their microscopic origin, as well as their impact on thermoelectricity in correlated narrow-gap semiconductors. Members of this class-such as FeSi and FeSb₂-display an unusual temperature dependence in various observables: insulating with large thermopowers at low temperatures, they turn bad metals at temperatures much smaller than the size of their gaps. This insulator-to-metal crossover is accompanied by spectral weight-transfers over large energies in the optical conductivity and by a gradual transition from activated to Curie-Weiss-like behaviour in the magnetic susceptibility. We show a retrospective of the understanding of these phenomena, discuss the relation to heavy-fermion Kondo insulators-such as Ce₃Bi₄Pt₃ for which we present new results-and propose a general classification of paramagnetic insulators. From the latter, FeSi emerges as an orbital-selective Kondo insulator. Focussing on intermetallics such as silicides, antimonides, skutterudites, and Heusler compounds we showcase successes and challenges for the realistic simulation of transport properties in the presence of electronic correlations. Further, we explore new avenues in which electronic correlations may contribute to the improvement of thermoelectric performance.

Model for a Ferromagnetic Quantum Critical Point in a 1D Kondo Lattice

Motivated by recent experiments, we study a quasi-one-dimensional model of a Kondo lattice with ferromagnetic coupling between the spins. Using bosonization and dynamical large-N techniques, we establish the presence of a Fermi liquid and a magnetic phase separated by a local quantum critical point, governed by the Kondo breakdown picture. Thermodynamic properties are studied and a gapless charged mode at the quantum critical point is highlighted.

Local magnetic moments in iron and nickel at ambient and Earth's core conditions

Some Bravais lattices have a particular geometry that can slow down the motion of Bloch electrons by pre-localization due to the band-structure properties. Another known source of electronic localization in solids is the Coulomb repulsion in partially filled d or f orbitals, which leads to the formation of local magnetic moments. The combination of these two effects is usually considered of little relevance to strongly correlated materials. Here we show that it represents, instead, the underlying physical mechanism in two of the most important ferromagnets: nickel and iron. In nickel, the van Hove singularity has an unexpected impact on the magnetism. As a result, the electron-electron scattering rate is linear in temperature, in violation of the conventional Landau theory of metals. This is true even at Earth's core pressures, at which iron is instead a good Fermi liquid. The importance of nickel in models of geomagnetism may have therefore to be reconsidered.

Effects of valence, geometry and electronic correlations on transport in transition metal benzene sandwich molecules

We study the impact of the valence and the geometry on the electronic structure and transport properties of different transition metal-benzene sandwich molecules bridging the tips of a Cu nanocontact. Our density-functional calculations show that the electronic transport properties of the molecules depend strongly on the molecular geometry which can be controlled by the nanocontact tips. Depending on the valence of the transition metal center certain molecules can be tuned in and out of half-metallic behaviour facilitating potential spintronics applications. We also discuss our results in the framework of an Anderson impurity model, indicating cases where the inclusion of local correlations alters the ground state qualitatively. For Co and V centered molecules we find indications of an orbital Kondo effect.

Superconductivity from Emerging Magnetic Moments

Multiorbital Hubbard models are shown to exhibit a spatially isotropic spin-triplet superconducting phase, where equal-spin electrons in different local orbitals are paired. This superconducting state is stabilized in the spin-freezing crossover regime, where local moments emerge in the metal phase, and the pairing is substantially assisted by spin anisotropy. The phase diagram features a superconducting dome below a non-Fermi-liquid metallic region and next to a magnetically ordered phase. We suggest that this type of fluctuating-moment-induced superconductivity, which is not originating from fluctuations near a quantum critical point, may be realized in spin-triplet superconductors such as strontium ruthenates and uranium compounds.

Tuning emergent magnetism in a Hund's impurity

The recently proposed concept of a Hund's metal--a metal in which electron correlations are driven by Hund's rule coupling-can be used to explain the exotic magnetic and electronic behaviour of strongly correlated electron systems of multi-orbital metallic materials. Tuning the abundance of parameters that determine these materials is, however, experimentally challenging. Here, we show that the basic constituent of a Hund's metal--a Hund's impurity--can be realized using a single iron atom adsorbed on a platinum surface, a system that comprises a magnetic moment in the presence of strong charge fluctuations. The magnetic properties can be controlled by using the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope to change the binding site and degree of hydrogenation of the 3d transition-metal atom. We are able to experimentally explore a regime of four almost degenerate energy scales (Zeeman energy, temperature, Kondo temperature and magnetic anisotropy) and probe the magnetic excitations with the microscope tip. The regime of our Hund's impurity can be tuned from an emergent magnetic moment to a multi-orbital Kondo state, and the system could be used to test predictions of advanced many-body theories for non-Fermi liquids in quantum magnets or unconventional superconductors.

Interplay between the Kondo effect and the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction

The interplay between the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction and the Kondo effect is expected to provide the driving force for the emergence of many phenomena in strongly correlated electron materials. Two magnetic impurities in a metal are the smallest possible system containing all these ingredients and define a bottom-up approach towards a long-term understanding of concentrated/dense systems. Here we report on the experimental and theoretical investigation of iron dimers buried below a Cu(100) surface by means of low-temperature scanning tunnelling spectroscopy combined with density functional theory and numerical renormalization group calculations. The Kondo effect, in particular the width of the Abrikosov-Suhl resonance, is strongly altered or even suppressed due to magnetic coupling between the impurities. It oscillates as a function of dimer separation revealing that it is related to indirect exchange interactions mediated by the conduction electrons.

Relevance of hybridization and filling of 3d orbitals for the Kondo effect in transition metal phthalocyanines

Magnetic organic molecules, such as 3d transition metal phthalocyanines (TMPc), exhibit properties which make them promising candidates for future applications in magnetic data storage or spin-based data processing. Due to their small size, however, TMPc molecules are prone to quantum effects. For example, the interaction of uncompensated molecular spins with conduction electrons of the substrate may lead to the formation of a many-body singlet state, which gives rise to the so-called Kondo effect. Although the Kondo effect of TMPc molecules has been the object of several investigations, a consistent picture to describe under which conditions a Kondo state is formed is still missing. Here, we study the Kondo properties of MnPc on Ag(001) by means of the low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy (LT-STS) measurements. Differential conductance dI/dU spectra reveal a zero-bias peak that is localized on the Mn ion site. Ab initio calculations combined with a many-body treatment of the multiorbital interaction show that the local Hund coupling favors the high-spin configuration on the 3d shell of the central TM atom. Therefore, each orbital gets close to its individual half-filling creating the necessary condition for many of the 3d orbitals to contribute to the observed Kondo resonance. This, however, happens only for the 3dz(2) orbital, whose hybridization to the substrate is much stronger than for the other orbitals thanks to its shape and its orientation.

Excitation spectra of transition-metal atoms on the Ag (100) surface controlled by Hund's exchange

We report photoemission experiments revealing the valence electron spectral function of Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni atoms on the Ag (100) surface. The series of spectra shows splittings of higher energy features which decrease with the filling of the 3d shell and a highly nonmonotonic evolution of spectral weight near the Fermi edge. First principles calculations demonstrate that two manifestations of Hund's exchange J are responsible for this evolution. First, there is a monotonic reduction of the effective exchange splittings with increasing filling of the 3d shell. Second, the amount of charge fluctuations and, thus, the weight of quasiparticle peaks at the Fermi level varies nonmonotonically through this 3d series due to a distinct occupancy dependence of effective charging energies U(eff).

Entanglement probe of two-impurity Kondo physics in a spin chain

We propose that real-space properties of the two-impurity Kondo model can be obtained from an effective spin model where two single-impurity Kondo spin chains are joined via an Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction between the two impurity spins. We then use a density matrix renormalization group approach, valid in all ranges of parameters, to study its features using two complementary quantum-entanglement measures, the negativity and the von Neumann entropy. This nonperturbative approach enables us to uncover the precise dependence of the spatial extent ξ(K) of the Kondo screening cloud with the Kondo and RKKY couplings. Our results reveal an exponential suppression of the Kondo temperature T(K)~1/ξ(K) with the size of the effective impurity spin in the limit of large ferromagnetic RKKY coupling, a striking display of "Kondo resonance narrowing" in the two-impurity Kondo model. We also show how the antiferromagnetic RKKY interaction produces an effective decoupling of the impurities from the bulk already for intermediate strengths of this interaction, and, furthermore, exhibit how the non-Fermi liquid quantum critical point is signaled in the quantum entanglement between various parts of the system.

Local quantum criticality of an iron-pnictide tetrahedron

Motivated by the close correlation between transition temperature (T(c)) and the tetrahedral bond angle of the As-Fe-As layer observed in the iron-based superconductors, we study the interplay between spin and orbital physics of an isolated iron-arsenide tetrahedron embedded in a metallic environment. Whereas the spin-Kondo effect is suppressed to low temperatures by Hund's coupling, the orbital degrees of freedom are expected to quantum mechanically quench at high temperatures, giving rise to an overscreened, non-Fermi liquid ground state. Translated into a dense environment, this critical state may play an important role in the superconductivity of these materials.

Janus-faced influence of Hund's rule coupling in strongly correlated materials

We show that in multiband metals the correlations are strongly affected by Hund's rule coupling, which depending on the filling promotes metallic, insulating or bad-metallic behavior. The quasiparticle coherence and the proximity to a Mott insulator are influenced distinctly and, away from single- and half-filling, in opposite ways. A strongly correlated bad metal far from a Mott phase is found there. We propose a concise classification of 3d and 4d transition-metal oxides within which the ubiquitous occurrence of strong correlations in Ru- and Cr-based oxides, as well as the recently measured high Néel temperatures in Tc-based perovskites are naturally explained.

Orbital Kondo effect in cobalt-benzene sandwich molecules

We study a Co-benzene sandwich molecule bridging the tips of a Cu nanocontact as a realistic model of correlated molecular transport. To this end we employ a recently developed method for calculating the correlated electronic structure and transport properties of nanoscopic conductors. When the molecule is slightly compressed by the tips of the nanocontact the dynamic correlations originating from the strongly interacting Co 3d shell give rise to an orbital Kondo effect while the usual spin Kondo effect is suppressed due to Hund's rule coupling. This nontrivial Kondo effect produces a sharp and temperature-dependent Abrikosov-Suhl resonance in the spectral function at the Fermi level and a corresponding Fano line shape in the low bias conductance.

Coherence-incoherence crossover and the mass-renormalization puzzles in Sr(2)RuO(4)

We calculate the electronic structure of Sr(2)RuO(4), treating correlations within dynamical mean-field theory. The approach successfully reproduces several experimental results and explains the key properties of this material: the anisotropic mass renormalization of quasiparticles and the crossover into an incoherent regime above a low temperature scale. While the orbital differentiation originates from the proximity of the van Hove singularity, strong correlations are caused by the Hund's coupling. The generality of this mechanism for other correlated materials is pointed out.