Critical Fluctuations and Conserved Dynamics in a Strange Ferromagnetic Metal

The origin of the strange metallic behavior observed in a wide range of quantum materials is an open challenge to condensed matter physics. Historically, strange metals were uniquely associated with antiferromagnetic quantum critical points (QCPs), but a new generation of materials reveals their association with uniform order parameters, such as ferromagnetism, valley, or nematic order, suggesting a deeper common denominator. At a QCP, order parameter fluctuations are characterized by the dynamical critical exponent z, which quantifies the space-time scaling asymmetry. Here, we report the observation of a divergence in the Grüneisen ratio at the QCP of the strange-metal ferromagnet CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} with a dynamical critical exponent z=3, signaling that the underlying quantum singularity involves a conserved degree of freedom. Yet the magnetization of this easy-plane ferromagnet is not conserved. We argue that the z=3 strange criticality requires a description beyond the Landau paradigm, proposing a link with the gauge modes of the small-to-large Fermi surface transition and the associated gauge charge of the delocalizing heavy electrons.

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Publication Details

Journal
Physical Review Letters
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/bp6l-46z7
Primary Topic
Rare-earth and actinide compounds
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Critical Fluctuations and Conserved Dynamics in a Strange Ferromagnetic Metal

Karl J. Friston
Physical Review Letters
Rare-earth and actinide compounds
article

Critical Fluctuations and Conserved Dynamics in a Strange Ferromagnetic Metal

Karl J. Friston
article en

Abstract

The origin of the strange metallic behavior observed in a wide range of quantum materials is an open challenge to condensed matter physics. Historically, strange metals were uniquely associated with antiferromagnetic quantum critical points (QCPs), but a new generation of materials reveals their association with uniform order parameters, such as ferromagnetism, valley, or nematic order, suggesting a deeper common denominator. At a QCP, order parameter fluctuations are characterized by the dynamical critical exponent z, which quantifies the space-time scaling asymmetry. Here, we report the observation of a divergence in the Grüneisen ratio at the QCP of the strange-metal ferromagnet CeRh_{6}Ge_{4} with a dynamical critical exponent z=3, signaling that the underlying quantum singularity involves a conserved degree of freedom. Yet the magnetization of this easy-plane ferromagnet is not conserved. We argue that the z=3 strange criticality requires a description beyond the Landau paradigm, proposing a link with the gauge modes of the small-to-large Fermi surface transition and the associated gauge charge of the delocalizing heavy electrons.

Physical Review LettersVol. 135(26)
Royal Holloway University of London (GB), Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (NL), Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (DE), Hubei Normal University (CN), University of Cincinnati (US), Zhejiang University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 74%
Rare-earth and actinide compounds
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