Incommensurate spin density wave in metallic V2-yO3

Pyrochlore oxide Hg2Os2O7on verge of metal-insulator boundary

Semimetallic osmium pyrochlore oxide Cd₂Os₂O₇undergoes a magnetic transition to an all-in-all-out (AIAO)-type order at 227 K, followed by a crossover to an AIAO insulator at around 210 K. Here, we studied the isostructural and isoelectronic compound Hg₂Os₂O₇through thermodynamic measurements, muon spin rotation (μSR) spectroscopy and neutron diffraction experiments. A similar magnetic transition, probably to an AIAO-type order, was observed at 88 K, while the resistivity showed a decrease at the transition and remained metallic down to 2 K. Thus, the ground state of Hg₂Os₂O₇is most likely an AIAO semimetal, which is analogous to the intermediate-temperature state of Cd₂Os₂O₇. Hg₂Os₂O₇exists on the verge of the metal-insulator boundary on the metal side and provides an excellent platform for studying the electronic instability of 5delectrons with moderate electron correlations and strong spin-orbit interactions.

Quantum phase transition in the itinerant antiferromagnet (V0.9Ti0.1)2O3

Quantum-critical behavior of the itinerant electron antiferromagnet (V0.9Ti0.1)2O3 has been studied by single-crystal neutron scattering. By directly observing antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in the paramagnetic phase, we have shown that the characteristic energy depends on temperature as c1 +c2T3/2, where c1 and c2 are constants. This T3/2 dependence demonstrates that the present strongly correlated d-electron antiferromagnet clearly shows the criticality of the spin-density-wave quantum phase transition in three space dimensions.

Incommensurate magnetic ordering in Sr2Ru(1-x)TixO4

In Sr2RuO4 the spin excitation spectrum is dominated by incommensurate fluctuations at q = (0.3 0.3q(z)), which arise from Fermi-surface nesting. We show that upon Ti substitution, known to suppress superconductivity, a short range magnetic order develops with a propagation vector (0.307 0.307 1). In Sr2Ru0.91Ti0.09O4, the ordered moment points along the c direction. This finding shows that superconducting Sr2RuO4 is extremely close to an incommensurate spin density wave instability.

Theory for phase transitions in insulating V2O3

We show that the recently proposed S = 2 bond model with orbital degrees of freedom for insulating V2O3 not only explains the anomalous magnetic ordering but also other mysteries of the magnetic phase transition. The model contains an additional orbital degree of freedom that exhibits a zero temperature quantum phase transition in the Ising universality class.

Direct transition between a singlet Mott insulator and a superconductor

We argue that a normal Fermi liquid and a singlet, spin-gapped Mott insulator cannot be continuously connected, and that some intermediate phase must intrude between them. By explicitly working out a case study where the singlet insulator is stabilized by orbital degeneracy and an inverted Hund's rule coupling, mimicking a Jahn-Teller effect, we find that the intermediate phase is a superconductor.

Orbitally degenerate spin-1 model for insulating V2O3

Motivated by recent neutron, x-ray absorption, and resonant scattering experiments, we revisit the electronic structure of V2O3. We propose a model in which S = 1 V3+ ions are coupled in the vertical V-V pairs forming twofold orbitally degenerate configurations with S = 2. Ferro-orbital ordering of the V-V pairs gives a description which is consistent with all experiments in the antiferromagnetic insulating phase.