Nanoscale heterogeneity induced by nonmagnetic Zn dopants in the quantum critical metal CeCoIn; In NQR/NMR and Co NMR study

量子臨界金属CeCoInにおける非磁性Zn置換子によるナノスケール不均一性; In核核磁気共鳴(NMR)/核四重極共鳴(NQR) and Co核NMRによる研究

酒井 宏典   ; 徳永 陽  ; 神戸 振作  ; Zhu, J.-X.*; Ronning, F.*; Thompson, J. D.*; Ramakrishna, S. K.*; Reyes, A. P.*; 鈴木 康平*; 大島 佳樹*; 横山 淳*

Sakai, Hironori; Tokunaga, Yo; Kambe, Shinsaku; Zhu, J.-X.*; Ronning, F.*; Thompson, J. D.*; Ramakrishna, S. K.*; Reyes, A. P.*; Suzuki, Kohei*; Oshima, Yoshiki*; Yokoyama, Makoto*

典型的な量子臨界金属であるCeCoInは、In元素をZn元素で少量置換することで、反強磁性を誘起できることが知られており、7%Zn置換系では、超伝導も共存する。NQRおよびNMRを用いて、微視的に電子状態を調べた結果、反強磁性はZn置換子周辺で起こり、超伝導は置換子から離れた電子状態が核となって起こり、近接効果により、バルク全体に超伝導が拡がる、という不均一性を見出した。Zn置換子周辺にある局所不均一性は、磁場をかけても残存することも見出した。

Antiferromagnetism in a prototypical quantum critical metal CeCoIn is known to be induced by slight substitutions of non-magnetic Zn atoms for In. In nominally 7% Zn substituted CeCoIn, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state coexists with heavy fermion superconductivity. Heterogeneity of the electronic states is investigated in Zn doped CeCoIn by means of nuclear quadrupole and magnetic resonances (NQR and NMR). Site-dependent NQR relaxation rates indicate that the AFM state is locally nucleated around Zn substituents in the matrix of a heavy fermion state, and percolates through the bulk at the AFM transition temperature . At lower temperatures, an anisotropic superconducting (SC) gap below the SC transition temperature , and the SC state permeates through the AFM regions via a SC proximity effect. Applying an external magnetic field induces a spin-flop transition near 5 T, reducing the volume of the AFM regions. Consequently, a short ranged inhomogeneous AFM state survives and coexists with a paramagnetic Fermi liquid state at high fields.