Orbitally defined field-induced electronic state in a Kondo lattice

Lessux, G. G.*; Sakai, Hironori; Hattori, Taisuke*; Tokunaga, Yo; Kambe, Shinsaku; Kuhns, P. L.*; Reyes, A. P.*; Thompson, J. D.*; Pagliuso, P. G.*; Urbano, R. R.*

Physical Review B, 101(16), p.165111_1 - 165111_6, 2020/04

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.101.165111

CeRhIn is a Kondo-lattice prototype in which a magnetic field 31T induces an abrupt Fermi-surface (FS) reconstruction and pronounced in-plane electrical transport anisotropy all within its antiferromagnetic state. Here we report low-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements revealing a pronounced decrease in the In formal Knight shift, without changes in crystal or magnetic structures, of CeRhIn at fields () spanning . We discuss the emergent state above in terms of a change in Ce's 4 orbitals that arises from field-induced evolution of crystal-electric field (CEF) energy levels. This change in orbital character enhances hybridization between the 4 and the conduction electrons that leads ultimately to an itinerant quantum-critical point at 50T.