Quantum phase transitions in the itinerant ferromagnet ZrZn2 |
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Authors: | Uhlarz M Pfleiderer C Hayden S M |
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Institution: | Physikalisches Institut, Universit?t Karlsruhe, Wolfgang-Gaede-Strasse 1, D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany. |
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Abstract: | We report a study of the ferromagnetism of ZrZn2, the most promising material to exhibit ferromagnetic quantum criticality, at low temperatures T as a function of pressure p. We find that the ordered ferromagnetic moment disappears discontinuously at p(c)=16.5 kbar. Thus a tricritical point separates a line of first order ferromagnetic transitions from second order (continuous) transitions at higher temperature. We also identify two lines of transitions of the magnetization isotherms up to 12 T in the p-T plane where the derivative of the magnetization changes rapidly. These quantum phase transitions (QPT) establish a high sensitivity to local minima in the free energy in ZrZn2, thus strongly suggesting that QPT in itinerant ferromagnets are always first order. |
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