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van der Waals magnet 
-UTe
Sakai, Hironori; Tabata, Chihiro; Kaneko, Koji; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Kitazawa, Takafumi; Kambe, Shinsaku*; Tokunaga, Yo; Haga, Yoshinori
Physical Review B, 114(8), p.L080402_1 - L080402_6, 2026/08
Times Cited Count：1-UTe, a van der Waals (vdW) actinide compound with a monoclinic ZrSe-type structure, is a narrow-gap semiconductor with moments. 
Te NMR reveals strongly anisotropic, layer-confined spin fluctuations below 20 K, with the 
-axis component enhanced, and a signal wipeout at the antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition 
K. Single-crystal neutron diffraction finds 
and a longitudinal sinusoidal modulation of -axis moments with an amplitude of 
and AFM stacking along 
. A CEF singlet-singlet induced-moment framework accounts for the easy-axis anisotropy, the small heat-capacity anomaly at 
, the reduced ordered moment, and the exchange-driven selection of 
in this localized vdW magnet, establishing a constrained exchange geometry that stabilizes this in-plane incommensurate state.
SO(OH)
Prokhnenko, O.*; Kaneko, Koji; Tabata, Chihiro; Akaki, Mitsuru*; Lee, C.*; Yamanaka, Takayoshi*; Sakai, Hironori; Hirose, Yusuke; Gazizulina, A.*; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; et al.
Physical Review B, 114(1), p.014414_1 - 014414_13, 2026/07
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)
Bhattacharya, K.*; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Majumder, M.*
Physical Review B, 113(22), p.L220407_1 - L220407_8, 2026/06
Times Cited Count：1 Percentile：78.36(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)We present a comprehensive experimental investigation of the temperature evolution of magnetic states in the triangular-lattice delafossite YbCuSe. Magnetization measurements on high-quality single crystals reveal easy-plane anisotropy. Specific heat, magnetization, and muon spin relaxation (
SR) measurements establish the absence of magnetic order or spin freezing down to 0.03~K (
), demonstrating a dynamically fluctuating quantum spin liquid (QSL) ground state. Thermodynamic measurements uncover multiple characteristic energy scales at 
~K, 
~K, and 
~K. Below 
, SR detects a dynamical phase separation in which the majority of the spins form a QSL state, while the remaining spins constitute a sporadic, disorder-induced state decoupled from the dominant QSL component. Remarkably, the unconventional temperature dependence of the SR relaxation rate indicates the emergence of roton-like excitations between 
and 
, a feature not previously observed in any QSL system, preceding the stabilization of the low-temperature QSL below 0.3~K. These findings identify YbCuSe as a unique QSL platform, providing valuable insights for further experimental and theoretical exploration.
Zn
Kitazawa, Takafumi; Shimura, Yasuyuki*; Onimaru, Takahiro*; Tsuchida, Shun*; Kubo, Katsunori; Haga, Yoshinori; Sakai, Hironori; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Kambe, Shinsaku; Tokunaga, Yo
Physical Review Research (Internet), 8(2), p.023009_1 - 023009_14, 2026/04
OProkhnenko, O.*; Nikitin, S. E.*; Kaneko, Koji; Tabata, Chihiro; Hirose, Yusuke; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Haga, Yoshinori; Fujita, Masaki; Nojiri, Hiroyuki*; Anovitz, L. M.*; et al.
Physical Review B, 112(9), p.094402_1 - 094402_7, 2025/09
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Opletal, P.; Sakai, Hironori; Kubo, Katsunori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Kimata, Motoi; Awaji, Satoshi*; Sasaki, Takahiko*; Aoki, Dai*; et al.
Physical Review Letters, 135(13), p.136502_1 - 136502_6, 2025/09
Times Cited Count：4 Percentile：76.34(Physics, Multidisciplinary)We investigate the effect of easy-axis metamagnetic crossover on superconductivity in UTe along the -axis through measurements of AC susceptibility, magnetization, and the magnetocaloric effect. In ultra-clean single crystals, we identify a field-induced phase transition within the superconducting state at 5.6 T, driven by metamagnetism. This transition leads to a high-field superconducting state, significantly increasing the upper critical field to 12 T. A sudden increase in entropy at the transition suggests a self-reconstruction of the order parameter, enabling multi-component superconducting states to adapt to external perturbations.
Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Opletal, P.; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Kimata, Motoi*; Awaji, Satoshi*; Sasaki, Takahiko*; Aoki, Dai*; Haga, Yoshinori; et al.
Physical Review B, 109(14), p.L140502_1 - L140502_6, 2024/04
Times Cited Count：9 Percentile：74.71(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)The normal-conducting state of the superconductor UTe is studied by entropy analysis for magnetic fields along the -axis, obtained from magnetization using the relation 
. We observe a strong increase in entropy with magnetic field due to metamagnetic fluctuations (spatially uniform, 
). The field dependence is well described by the Hertz-Millis-Moriya theory for quantum criticality of itinerant metamagnetism. Notably, the lower bound of the quantum-critical region coincides well with the position of the minimum in the superconducting transition temperature 
. Hence, our results suggest that fluctuations reinforce the superconductivity.
Zhao, K.*; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Chen, H.*; Gegenwart, P.*
Nature Physics, 20(3), p.442 - 449, 2024/03
Times Cited Count：27 Percentile：94.96(Physics, Multidisciplinary)In magnetic crystals, despite the explicit breaking of time-reversal symmetry, two equilibrium states related by time reversal are always energetically degenerate. In ferromagnets, this time-reversal degeneracy is reflected in the hysteresis of the magnetic field dependence of the magnetization and, if metallic, in that of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE). Under time-reversal, both these quantities change signs but not their magnitude. Here we show that a time-reversal-like degeneracy appears in the metallic kagome spin ice HoAgGe when magnetic fields are applied parallel to the kagome plane. We find vanishing hysteresis in the field dependence of the magnetization at low temperature, but finite hysteresis in the field-dependent AHE. This suggests the emergence of states with nearly the same energy and net magnetization but different sizes of the AHE and of the longitudinal magnetoresistance. By analysing the experimental data and a minimal tight-binding model, we identify a time-reversal-like operation connecting these near-degenerate states, which is related to the non-trivial distortion of the kagome lattice in HoAgGe. Our work demonstrates the diagnostic power of transport phenomena for identifying hidden symmetries in frustrated spin systems.
Suetsugu, Shota*; Sakai, Hironori; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Haga, Yoshinori; 12 of others*
Science Advances (Internet), 10(6), p.eadk3772_1 - eadk3772_6, 2024/02
Times Cited Count：40 Percentile：97.41(Multidisciplinary Sciences)Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Haga, Yoshinori; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; Aoki, Dai*; Knebel, G.*; et al.
Physical Review Letters, 131(22), p.226503_1 - 226503_7, 2023/12
Times Cited Count：22 Percentile：88.67(Physics, Multidisciplinary)Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Opletal, P.; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Kimata, Motoi*; Awaji, Satoshi*; Sasaki, Takahiko*; Yanase, Yoichi*; Haga, Yoshinori; et al.
Physical Review B, 108(14), p.144502_1 - 144502_5, 2023/10
Times Cited Count：12 Percentile：67.14(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)The vortex dynamics in the spin-triplet superconductor, UTe, are studied by measuring the DC electrical resistivity with currents along the -axis under magnetic fields along the -axis. Surprisingly, we have discovered an island region of low critical current deep inside the superconducting (SC) state, well below the SC upper critical field, attributed to a weakening of vortex pinning. Notably, this region coincides with the recently proposed intermediate-field SC state. We discuss the possibility of nonsingular vortices in the intermediate state, where SC order parameter does not vanish entirely in the vortex cores due to the mixing of multiple SC components.
probed by anisotropic low-energy excitationsIshihara, Kota*; Roppongi, Masaki*; Kobayashi, Masayuki*; Imamura, Kumpei*; Mizukami, Yuta*; Sakai, Hironori; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Haga, Yoshinori; Hashimoto, Kenichiro*; et al.
Nature Communications (Internet), 14, p.2966_1 - 2966_7, 2023/05
Times Cited Count：59 Percentile：97.72(Multidisciplinary Sciences)The superconducting symmetry of the heavy fermion uranium-based superconductor UTe is investigated using low temperature penetration depth measurements. The anisotropic low-energy quasiparticle excitations indicates multiple superconducting components in a chiral complex form. The most consistent is a chiral non-unitary state.
along hard magnetic axisSakai, Hironori; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Opletal, P.; Kimata, Motoi*; Awaji, Satoshi*; Sasaki, Takahiko*; Aoki, Dai*; Kambe, Shinsaku; Tokunaga, Yo; Haga, Yoshinori
Physical Review Letters, 130(19), p.196002_1 - 196002_6, 2023/05
Times Cited Count：36 Percentile：94.45(Physics, Multidisciplinary)The superconducting (SC) phase diagram in uranium ditelluride is explored under magnetic fields (
) along the hard magnetic -axis using a high-quality single crystal with 
= 2.1 K. Simultaneous electrical resistivity and AC magnetic susceptibility measurements discern low- and high-field SC (LFSC and HFSC, respectively) phases with contrasting field-angular dependence. Crystal quality increases the upper critical field of the LFSC phase, but the 
of 
T, at which the HFSC phase appears, is always the same through the various crystals. A phase boundary signature is also observed inside the LFSC phase near , indicating an intermediate SC phase characterized by small flux pinning forces.
Ishihara, Kota*; Kobayashi, Masayuki*; Imamura, Kumpei*; Konczykowski, M.*; Sakai, Hironori; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Haga, Yoshinori; Hashimoto, Kenichiro*; Shibauchi, Takasada*
Physical Review Research (Internet), 5(2), p.L022002_1 - L022002_6, 2023/04
Lower superconducting critical fields 
of UTe have been determined. Orthorhombic UTe has magnetic easy axis along the -axis. We found perpendicular to showed anomalous enhancement. By comparing with anisotropy of upper critical fields, effect of magnetic fluctuations on superconductivity is suggested.
Te
Opletal, P.; Sakai, Hironori; Haga, Yoshinori; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Kambe, Shinsaku; Tokunaga, Yo
Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 92(3), p.034704_1 - 034704_5, 2023/03
Times Cited Count：5 Percentile：50.74(Physics, Multidisciplinary)We investigate the physical properties of a single crystal of uranium telluride UTe. We have confirmed that UTe crystallizes in the hexagonal structure with three nonequivalent crystallographic uranium sites. The paramagnetic moments are estimated to be approximately 1 
per the uranium site, assuming a uniform moment on all the sites. A ferromagnetic phase transition occurs at 
= 48 K, where the in-plane magnetization increases sharply, whereas the out of-plane component does not increase significantly. With decreasing temperature further below under field-cooling conditions, the out-of-plane component increases rapidly around T
= 26 K. In contrast, the in-plane component hardly changes at T. Specific heat measurement indicates no 
-type anomaly around T, so this is a cross-over suggesting a reorientation of the ordering moments or successive magnetic ordering on the part of the multiple uranium sites.
)Jesche, A.*; Winterhalter-Stocker, N.*; Hirschberger, F.*; Bellon, A.*; Bachus, S.*; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Tsirlin, A. A.*; Gegenwart, P.*
Physical Review B, 107(10), p.104402_1 - 104402_8, 2023/03
Times Cited Count：51 Percentile：94.73(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)Crystal structure, thermodynamic properties, and adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR) effect in the spin-1/2 triangular antiferromagnet KBaGd(BO) are reported. With the average nearest-neighbor exchange coupling of 44 mK, this compound shows magnetic order below 
= 263 mK in zero field. The ADR tests reach the temperature of 
= 122 mK, more than twice lower than , along with the entropy storage capacity of 192 mJ K
cm
and the hold time of more than 8 h in the PPMS setup, both significantly improved compared to the spin-
Yb
analog. We argue that KBaGd(BO) shows a balanced interplay of exchange and dipolar couplings that together with structural randomness and geometrical frustration shift to well below the ordering temperature , therefore facilitating the cooling.
Aoki, Dai*; Sakai, Hironori; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Ishizuka, Jun*; Yanase, Yoichi*; Harima, Hisatomo*; Nakamura, Ai*; Li, D.*; Homma, Yoshiya*; et al.
Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 91(8), p.083704_1 - 083704_5, 2022/08
Times Cited Count：81 Percentile：97.95(Physics, Multidisciplinary) by molten salt flux methodSakai, Hironori; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Tokunaga, Yo; Kambe, Shinsaku; Haga, Yoshinori
Physical Review Materials (Internet), 6(7), p.073401_1 - 073401_10, 2022/07
Times Cited Count：85 Percentile：96.25(Materials Science, Multidisciplinary)The molten salt flux method is applied as a new synthetic route for the single crystals of the spin-triplet superconductor UTe. The single crystals under an optimized growth condition with excess uranium exhibit a superconducting transition at 
K, which is the highest reported for this compound. The obtained crystals show a remarkably large residual resistivity ratio with respect to the room temperature value and a small residual electronic contribution in specific heat well below . These results indicate that the increase of in UTe can be achieved by reducing the disorder associated with uranium vacancies. The excess uranium in the molten salt acts as a reducing agent, preventing tetravalent uranium from becoming pentavalent and suppressing creation of uranium vacancies. At the same time, the relatively low growth temperature can suppress Te volatilization.
Haga, Yoshinori; Opletal, P.; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Yamamoto, Etsuji; Tokunaga, Yo; Kambe, Shinsaku; Sakai, Hironori
Journal of Physics; Condensed Matter, 34(17), p.175601_1 - 175601_7, 2022/04
Times Cited Count：38 Percentile：85.05(Physics, Condensed Matter)Tokunaga, Yo; Sakai, Hironori; Kambe, Shinsaku; Haga, Yoshinori; Tokiwa, Yoshifumi; Opletal, P.; Fujibayashi, Hiroki*; Kinjo, Katsuki*; Kitagawa, Shunsaku*; Ishida, Kenji*; et al.
Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 91(2), p.023707_1 - 023707_5, 2022/02
Times Cited Count：31 Percentile：89.58(Physics, Multidisciplinary)Te NMR experiments in field () applied along the easy magnetization axis (the -axis) revealed slow electronic dynamics developing in the paramagnetic state of UTe. The observed slow fluctuations are concerned with a successive growth of long-range electronic correlations below 30
40 K, where the spin susceptibility along the hard magnetization axis (the -axis) shows a broad maximum. The experiments also imply that tiny amounts of disorder or defects locally disturb the long-range electronic correlations and develop an inhomogeneous electronic state at low temperatures, leading to a low temperature upturn observed in the bulk-susceptibility in 
. We suggest that UTe would be located on the paramagnetic side near an electronic phase boundary, where either the magnetic or Fermi-surface instability would be the origin of the characteristic fluctuations.
