Physicists have long debated whether the hidden order in URu2Si2 is itinerant or localized, and it remains inaccessible to direct external probes. Recent observation of an overdamped collective mode in this material (C. Weibe et al, Nature Physics 3, 96-100 (2007)), appears to resolve this outstanding issue.
Magnetization measurements of URu2Si2 in pulsed magnetic fields of 44 T reveal that the hidden order phase is destroyed before appearing in the form of a re-entrant phase between ~ 36 and 39 T. Evidence for conventional itinerant electron metamagnetism at higher temperatures suggests that the re-entrant phase is created in the vicinity of a quantum critical end point.
We propose the magnetic exciton mediated superconductivity occurring in the enigmatic hidden-order phase of URu2Si2. The characteristic of the massive collective excitation observed only in the hidden-order phase is well reproduced by the antiferro hexadecapole ordering model as the trace of the dispersive crystalline-electric-field excitation. The disappearance of the superconductivity in the high-pressure antiferro magnetic phase can naturally be understood by the sudden suppression of the magnetic-exciton intensity. The analysis of the momentum dependence of the magnetic-exciton mode leads …
The correlation between charge and spin orderings in hole-doped antiferromagnets is studied within an effective model of quantum strings fluctuating in an antiferromagnetic background. In particular, we perform the direct estimation of the charge and spin long-range-order parameters by means of the quantum Monte Carlo simulation. A hidden spin long-range order is found to be governed by a competition between the two trends caused by increasing hole mobility: the enhancement of the two-dimensional spin-spin correlation mediated by hole motions and the reformation of a strong stripe order.
This paper presents a brief synopsis of magnetization, electrical transport, specific heat measurements as well as other recent work on URu2Si2, together with some topical discussions of the groundstate properties in relation to metemagnetism, quantum criticality and crystal electric fields.
On an assumption that the HO is the antiferro-quadrupolar order with Γ_{5} (Q_{z(x+y)} and Q_{z(x-y)}) symmetry, the anisotropy in temperature dependence of resistivity (ρ_{c}\propto T^{2}, and ρ_{ab}\propto T) in the HO phase of URu_2Si_2 is explained.
We study the phase diagram of two weakly coupled one-dimensional dipolar boson chains at half-odd-integer fillings. We find that the system contains a rich phase diagram. Four different phases are found. They are the Mott insulators, the single-particle resonant superfluid, the paired superfluid, and the bond- or inter-chain density waves. Moreover, the Mott insulating phase can be further classified according to a hidden string order parameter, which is analogous to the one investigated recently in the one-dimensional boson Mott insulator at integer fillings.
Heavy electronic states originating from the f atomic orbitals underlie a rich variety of quantum phases of matter. We use atomic scale imaging and spectroscopy with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to examine the novel electronic states that emerge from the uranium f states in URu2Si2. We find that as the temperature is lowered, partial screening of the f electrons' spins gives rise to a spatially modulated Kondo-Fano resonance that is maximal between the surface U atoms. At T=17.5 K, URu2Si2 is known to undergo a 2nd order phase transition from the Kondo lattice state into a phase wit…
We follow the line of reasoning that hidden broken symmetries are the root of quantum oscillations observed in underdoped superconductors and examine the role of bilayer splitting and incommensuration. This is a view that eschews the notion of a featureless Mott liquid as the source of complexity. Instead, our view is grounded in a conventional Fermi surface and quasiparticles. We show that bilayer splitting and/or incommensurate $d$-density wave order can lead to many interesting results, in particular a splitting of the main frequency of the quantum oscillations.
For more than two decades, the nonmagnetic anomaly observed around 17.5 K in URu2Si2, has been investigated intensively. However, any kind of fingerprint for the lattice anomaly has not been observed. Therefore, the order has been called "the hidden order". One simple answer to why the hidden order is still hidden is presented from the space group analysis. The second order phase transition from I4/mmm (No. 139) to P4_2/mnm (No. 136) does not need any kind of lattice distortion in this system, and allows the NQR frequency at Ru-site unchanged. It is compatible with O_{xy}-type anti-ferro quadr…
An antiferro-magnetic (AF) low moment solution, 0.4 $μ_\mathrm{B}$/Fe, is found in the case of LaOFeAs for an intermediately strong Coulomb interaction $U$ of 2.5--3.0 eV. This solution is stabilized over a large moment solution due to the gain in exchange energy in the formation of large multipoles of the spin magnetization density. The multipoles are of rank four and can be understand as a kind of spin-orbital ordering. Parallels can be drawn to the stabilization of the AF order in e.g. CaCuO$_2$.
Despite more than a quarter century of research, the nature of the second-order phase transition in the heavy-fermion metal URu$_2$Si$_2$ remains enigmatic. The key question is which symmetry is being broken below this "hidden order" transition. We review the recent progress on this issue, particularly focusing on the thermodynamic evidence from very sensitive micro-cantilever magnetic torque measurements that the fourfold rotational symmetry of the underlying tetragonal crystal is broken. The angle dependence of the torque under in-plane field rotation exhibits the twofold oscillation term, w…
A second-order phase transition is characterized by spontaneous symmetry breaking. The nature of the broken symmetry in the so-called "hidden order" phase transition in the heavy fermion compound URu2Si2, at transition temperature T_h=17.5 K, has posed a long-standing mystery. We report the emergence of an in-plane anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility below T_h, which breaks the four-fold rotational symmetry of the tetragonal URu2Si2. Two-fold oscillations in the magnetic torque under in-plane field rotation were sensitively detected in small pure crystals. Our findings suggest that the h…
We reveal the rule with which we predicted, and verified by detailed numerical calculations on dozens of specific cases over the last decade, the emergence of hidden induced states and the formation of quartets of order parameters. The rule stipulates that if N order parameters are such that their cyclic products equal +1 or -1 then the presence of any N-1 of them will necessarily induce the missing order parameter as a hidden order. We demonstrate that the rule results from general microscopic mean field theory and is thus universally valid. Of exceptional physical interest are the cases N=4 …
We present a study of Nernst and Seebeck coefficients in the heavy-fermion compound URu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$, which hosts a phase transition of unsettled origin. A giant Nernst signal of unprecedented magnitude was found to emerge in the ordered state. Moreover, our analysis of the Seebeck and Hall data indicates that the ordering leads to a sudden increase in the entropy per itinerant electron and to a drastic decrease in the scattering rate.
Combination of neutron scattering and thermal expansion measurements under pressure shows that the so-called hidden order phase of URu2Si2 reenters in magnetic field when antiferromagnetism (AF) collapses at H_AF (T). Macroscopic pressure studies of the HO-AF boundaries were realized at different pressures via thermal expansion measurements under magnetic field using a strain gauge. Microscopic proof at a given pressure is the reappearance of the resonance at Q_0=(1,0,0) under field which is correlated with the collapse of the AF Bragg reflections at Q_0.
We report extensive muon spin rotation measurements on the lightly doped Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3O6+y compound, which allows us to disentangle the effect of disorder, controlled by random Ca2+ substitution, from that of mere doping. A 3D phase diagram of lightly doped cuprates is accurately drawn, showing that a thermally activated antiferromagnetic phase competes with superconductivity around a quantum critical point, hidden underneath a frozen insulating magnetic state. Disorder suppresses both competing order parameters and unveils the underlying frozen state. Doping and disorder destroy the activated…
The two-orbital J1-J2 model that describes a square lattice of frustrated spin-1 iron atoms is analyzed within the linear spin-wave approximation and by exact diagonalization over a 4x4 cluster. A quantum critical point (QCP) is identified that separates hidden magnetic order at weak Hund's rule coupling from a commensurate spins density wave (cSDW) at strong Hund's rule coupling. Although the moment for cSDW order is small at the QCP, the critical linear spin-wave spectrum shows strong low-energy excitations centered at the wavenumbers that correspond to cSDW order. These disperse anisotropic…
In several Fe-based superconductors, slight $C_4$ symmetry breaking occurs at $T^*$, which is tens of Kelvin higher than the structural transition temperature $T_S$. In this "hidden" nematic state at $T_S<T<T^*$, the orthorhombicity is tiny [$ϕ=(a-b)/(a+b) \ll 0.1$%], but clear evidences of bulk phase transition have been accumulated. To explain this long-standing mystery, we propose the emergence of antiferro-bond (AFB) order with the antiferro wavevector ${\bf q}=(0,π)$ at $T=T^*$, by which the characteristic phenomena below $T^*$ are satisfactorily explained. This AFB order originates from …
We present a study of transport properties of the heavy fermion URu$_2$Si$_2$ in pulsed magnetic field. The large Nernst response of the hidden order state is found to be suppressed when the magnetic field exceeds 35 T. The combination of resistivity, Hall and Nernst data outlines the reconstruction of the Fermi surface in the temperature-field phase diagram. The zero-field ground state is a compensated heavy-electron semi-metal, which is destroyed by magnetic field through a cascade of field-induced transitions. Above 40 T, URu$_2$Si$_2$ appears to be a polarized heavy fermions metal with a l…
In the limit of perfect nesting, the physics of iron-pnictides is governed by the density wave formation at the zone-edge vector M. At high energies, various spin- (SDW), charge- (CDW), orbital/pocket- (PDW) density waves, and their linear combinations, all appear equally likely, unified within the unitary order parameter of U(4)XU(4) symmetry. Nesting imperfections and low-energy interactions reduce this symmetry to that of real materials. Nevertheless, the generic ground state preserves a distinct signature of its highly symmetric origins: a SDW along one axis of the iron lattice is predicte…
We present a study of thermal conductivity in the normal state of the heavy-fermion superconductor URu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$. Ordering at 18K leads to a steep increase in thermal conductivity and (in contrast with all other cases of magnetic ordering in heavy-fermion compounds) to an enhancement of the Lorenz number. By linking this observation to several other previously reported features, we conclude that most of the carriers disappear in the ordered state and this leads to a drastic increase in both phononic and electronic mean-free-path.
Measurements of the differential elastoresistance of URu$_2$Si$_2$ reveal that the fluctuations associated with the 17 K Hidden Order phase transition have a nematic component. Approaching the "Hidden Order" phase transition from above, the nematic susceptibility abruptly changes sign, indicating that while the Hidden Order phase has a nematic component, it breaks additional symmetries.
A systematic search for possible order parameters of the so-called hidden order of URu$_{2}$Si$_{2}$ is conducted. Among the possible candidates that do fulfill the experimental symmetry restrictions on the hidden order parameter, we find one candidate that stand out -- one of the components of a triakontadipole multipole tensor that belongs to the $A_{1u}$ irreducible representation of the point group $D_{4h}$. This solution is characterized by a $\vec{Q}=(0,0,1)$ ordering of the triakontadipoles and has a symmetry that forbids magnetic moments as well as most other multipole ordering on the …
The heavy fermion compound URu2Si2 continues to attract great interest due to the long- unidentified nature of the hidden order that develops below 17.5K. Here we discuss the implications of an angular survey of the linear and nonlinear susceptibility of URu2Si2 in the vicinity of the hidden order transition. While the anisotropic nature of spin fluctuations and low-temperature quasiparticles was previously established, our recent results suggest that the order parameter itself has intrinsic Ising anisotropy, and that moreover this anisotropy extends far above the hidden order transition. Cons…
To resolve the nature of the hidden order below 17.5\,K in the heavy fermion compound URu$_2$Si$_2$, identifying which symmetries are broken below the hidden order transition is one of the most important steps. Several recent experiments on the electronic structure have shown that the Fermi surface in the hidden order phase is quite close to the result of band-structure calculations within the framework of itinerant electron picture assuming the antiferromagnetism. This provides strong evidence for the band folding along the c-axis with the ordering vector of $(0\,0\,1)$, corresponding to brok…
An unconventional pairing mechanism in the heavy-fermion material $\mathrm{URu_{2}Si_{2}}$ is studied. We propose a mixed singlet-triplet $d$-density wave to be the hidden-order state in $\mathrm{URu_{2}Si_{2}}$. The exotic order is topologically nontrivial and supports a charge $2e$ skyrmionic spin texture, which is assumed to fractionalize into merons and antimerons at the deconfined quantum critical point. The interaction between these fractional particles results in a (pseudo)spin-singlet chiral $d$-wave superconducting state, which breaks time reversal symmetry. Therefore, it is highly li…
We report the first observation of cyclotron resonance in the hidden-order phase of ultra-clean URu$_2$Si$_2$ crystals, which allows the full determination of angle-dependent electron-mass structure of the main Fermi-surface sheets. We find an anomalous splitting of the sharpest resonance line under in-plane magnetic-field rotation. This is most naturally explained by the domain formation, which breaks the fourfold rotational symmetry of the underlying tetragonal lattice. The results reveal the emergence of an in-plane mass anisotropy with hot spots along the [110] direction, which can account…
Shubnikov-de Haas measurements of high quality URu2Si2 single crystals reveal two previously unobserved Fermi surface branches in the so-called hidden order phase. Therefore about 55% of the enhanced mass is now detected. Under pressure in the antiferromagnetic state, the Shubnikov-de Haas frequencies for magnetic fields applied along the crystalline c axis show little change compared with the zero pressure data. This implies a similar Fermi surface in both the hidden order and antiferromagnetic states, which strongly suggests that the lattice doubling in the antiferromagnetic phase due to the…
We discuss the discovery of pressure-induced antiferromagnetism in URu_2Si_2, in the context of neutron, NMR and μSR results. The identification of a critical pressure separating mean-field and Ising phase transitions leads us to propose that the system lies close to a bicritical point associated with magnetic and (non-magnetic) hidden order. We conclude that the recent observation of an isotropic, field-independent component in the silicon NMR line-width implies that the hidden order parameter breaks time-reversal invariance and present a preliminary discussion of the underlying nature of the…
We use inelastic neutron scattering measurements to show that the energy gap in the magnetic excitations of URu$_2$Si$_2$, induced by the Hidden Order transition, is closed by Re substitution. The magnetic excitations remain ungapped in compositions where the specific heat anomaly associated with Hidden Order is no longer observed, which means that the entropy associated with Hidden Order is tied mostly to the magnetic gapping. Further, the onset of ferromagnetic order does not gap the excitations, reflecting the fact that Re substitution does not dramatically affect the Kondo lattice hybridiz…
We formulate and study an effective Hamiltonian for low-energy Kramers doublets of $d^1$-ions on a square lattice. We find that the system exhibits a magnetically hidden order in which the expectation values of the local spin and orbital moments both vanish. The order parameter responsible for a time-reversal symmetry breaking has a composite nature and is a spin-orbital analog of a magnetic octupole. We argue that such a hidden order is realized in the layered perovskite Sr$_2$VO$_4$.
The heavy fermion compound URu$_2$Si$_2$ continues to attract great interest due to the unidentified hidden order it develops below 17.5K. The unique Ising character of the spin fluctuations and low temperature quasiparticles is well established. We present detailed measurements of the angular anisotropy of the nonlinear magnetization that reveal a $\cos^4 θ$ Ising anisotropy both at and above the ordering transition. With Landau theory, we show this implies a strongly Ising character of the itinerant hidden order parameter.
Hidden-order phase transition in the heavy-fermion superconductor URu$_2$Si$_2$ exhibits the mean-field-like anomaly in temperature dependence of heat capacity. Motivated by this observation, here we explore the impact of the complex order parameter fluctuations on the thermodynamic properties of the hidden order phase. Specifically, we employ the mean-field theory for the hidden order which describes the hidden order parameter by an average of the hexadecapole operator. We compute the gaussian fluctuation corrections to the mean-field theory equations including both the fluctuations due to 'h…
We report the use of impurities to probe the hidden order parameter of the strongly correlated metal URu_2Si_2 below the transition temperature T_0 ~ 17.5 K. The nature of this order parameter has eluded researchers for more than two decades, but is accompanied by the development of a partial gap in the single particle density of states that can be detected through measurements of the electronic specific heat and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate. We find that impurities in the hidden order phase give rise to local patches of antiferromagnetism. An analysis of the coupling between the antif…
It is shown that the hidden ordered (HO) state in heavy fermionic metal URu2Si2 is either nonconventional charge density wave (CDW) or antiferroelectric (AFE) commensurate ordering. Similar to antiferromagnetic (AF) order an antiferroelectric order creates momentum dependence of conducting electrons $g$-factor. This even modest anisotropy along with the anisotropy of heavy cyclotron mass can produce multiple effect of so called zero-spin splitting in the amplitude of the de Haas - van Alphen and the Shubnikov - de Haas signals as function of direction of magnetic field.
We argue that key characteristics of the enigmatic transition at $T_0= 17.5K $ in $URu_2Si_2$ indicate that the hidden order is a density wave formed within a band of composite quasiparticles, whose detailed structure is determined by local physics. We expand on our proposal (with J.A. Mydosh) of the hidden order as incommnesurate orbital antiferromagnetism and present experimental predictions to test our ideas. We then turn towards a microscopic description of orbital antiferromagnetism, exploring possible particle-hole pairings within the context of a simple one-band model. We end with a dis…
We have performed polarized electronic Raman scattering on URu2Si2 single crystals at low temperature down to 8 K in the hidden order state and under magnetic field up to 10 T. The hidden order state is characterized by a sharp excitation at 1.7 meV and a gap in the electronic continuum below 6.8 meV. Both Raman signatures are of pure A2g symmetry. By comparing the behavior of the Raman sharp excitation and the neutron resonance at Q0=(0,0,1), we provide new evidence, constrained by selection rules of the two probes, that the hidden order state breaks the translational symmetry along the c axi…
Motivated by the recent discovery of broken four-fold symmetry in the hidden order phase of URu$_2$Si$_2$[R. Okazaki et al., Science {\bf 331}, 439 (2011)], we examine a scenario of a spin nematic state as a possible candidate of the hidden order phase. We demonstrate that the scenario naturally explains most of experimental observations, and furthermore, reproduces successfully the temperature dependence of the spin anisotropy detected by the above-mentioned experiment in a semi-quantitative way. This result provides strong evidence for the realization of the spin nematic order.
We have introduced a class of exactly soluble Hamiltonian with either SO(2n+1) or SU(2) symmetry, whose ground states are the SO(2n+1) symmetric matrix product states. The hidden topological order in these states can be fully identified and characterized by a set of nonlocal string order parameters. The Hamiltonian possesses a hidden $(Z_{2}\times Z_{2})^{n} $ topological symmetry. The breaking of this hidden symmetry leads to $4^{n}$ degenerate ground states with disentangled edge states in an open chain system. Such matrix product states can be regarded as cluster states, applicable to measu…
In this article we present high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) spectra of the heavy-fermion superconductor URu$_2$Si$_2$. Measurements as a function of both excitation energy and temperature allow us to disentangle a variety of spectral features, revealing the evolution of the low energy electronic structure across the hidden order transition. Already above the hidden order transition our measurements reveal the existence of weakly dispersive states below the Fermi level that exhibit a large scattering rate. Upon entering the hidden order phase, these states transform into a c…
We demonstrate that hidden long range order is always present in the gapped phases of interacting fermionic systems on one dimensional lattices. It is captured by correlation functions of appropriate nonlocal charge and/or spin operators, which remain asymptotically finite. The corresponding microscopic orders are classified. The results are confirmed by DMRG numerical simulation of the phase diagram of the extended Hubbard model, and of a Haldane insulator phase.
Through an analysis and modeling of data from various experimental techniques, we present clear evidence for the presence of a hidden order pseudogap in \U in the temperature range between 25 K and 17.5 K. Considering fluctuations of the hidden order energy gap at the transition as the origin of the pseudogap, we evaluate the effects that gap fluctuations would produce on observables like tunneling conductance, neutron scattering and nuclear resonance, and relate them to the experimental findings. We show that the transition into hidden order phase is likely second order and is preceded by the…
The observation of Ising quasiparticles is a signatory feature of the hidden order phase of URu$_2$Si$_2$. In this paper we discuss its nature and the strong constraints it places on current theories of the hidden order. In the hastatic theory such anisotropic quasiparticles are naturally described described by resonant scattering between half-integer spin conduction electrons and integer-spin Ising moments. The hybridization that mixes states of different Kramers parity is spinorial; its role as an symmetry-breaking order parameter is consistent with optical and tunnelling probes that indicat…
We review current attempts to characterize the underlying nature of the hidden order in $URu_2Si_2$. A wide variety of experiments point to the existence of two order parameters: a large primary order parameter of unknown character which co-exists with secondary antiferromagnetic order. Current theories can be divided into two groups determined by whether or not the primary order parameter breaks time-reversal symmetry. We propose a series of experiments designed to test the time-reversal nature of the underlying primary order in $URu_2Si_2$ and to characterize its local single-ion physics.
We develop a Landau Ginzburg theory of the hidden order phase and the local moment antiferromagnetic phase of URu_2Si_2. We unify the two broken symmetries in a common complex order parameter and derive many experimentally relevant consequences such as the topology of the phase diagram in magnetic field and pressure. The theory accounts for the appearance of a moment under application of stress and the thermal expansion anomaly across the phase transitions. It identifies the low energy mode which is seen in the hidden order phase near the conmensurate wavector (0,0, 1) as the pseudo-Goldstone …
We argue that the hidden order state in URu$_2$Si$_2$ will induce a charge density wave. The modulation vector of the charge density wave will be twice that of the hidden order state, $Q_{CDW} = 2Q_{HO}$. To illustrate how the charge density wave arises we use a Ginzburg-Landau theory that contains a coupling of the charge density wave amplitude to the square of the HO order parameter $Δ_{HO}$. This simple analysis allows us to predict the intensity and temperature dependence of the charge density wave order parameter in terms of the susceptibilities and coupling constants used in the Ginzburg…
The heavy-fermion compound URu2Si2 exhibits a hidden-order phase below the temperature, ~ 17.5 K. In spite of intense research for past three decades, no consensus on the order parameter exists and the nature has posed a long-standing mystery. Here we report the discovery of a Griffiths phase within the hidden-order phase, characterized by residual short-range correlations on the collapse of long-range orders due to the dilution effects. In the Griffiths phase scenario, strong evidence are provided for those cluster-like spins, such as the unique power-law behavior of magnetic susceptibility a…
This paper reports recent progress of ultrasonic measurements on URu$_2$Si$_2$, including ultrasonic measurements under hydrostatic pressure, in pulsed-magnetic fields, and the effect of Rh-substitution. The observed changes of the elastic responses shed light on the orthorhombic-lattice instability with $Γ_3$-symmetry existing within the hidden order and the hybridized 5$f$-electron states of URu$_2$Si$_2$.
URu2Si2 is one of the most enigmatic strongly-correlated-electron systems and offers a fertile testing ground for new concepts in condensed matter science. In spite of >30 years of intense research, no consensus on the order parameter of its low-temperature hidden-order phase exists. A strong magnetic field transforms the hidden order into magnetically-ordered phases, whose order parameter has also been defying experimental observation. Here, thanks to an instrumentation breakthrough in high-field neutron scattering, we identify the field-induced phases of URu2Si2 as a spin-density-wave state …
Layered 5$d$ transition iridium oxides, Sr$_2$(Ir,Rh)O$_4$, are described as unconventional Mott insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling. The undoped compound, Sr$_2$IrO$_4$, is a nearly ideal two-dimensional pseudospin-$1/2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnet, similarly to the insulating parent compound of high-temperature superconducting copper oxides. Using polarized neutron diffraction, we here report a hidden magnetic order in pure and doped Sr$_2$(Ir,Rh)O$_4$, distinct from the usual antiferromagnetic pseudo-spin ordering. We find that time-reversal symmetry is broken while the lattice transl…
Substitution of Re for Ru in the heavy fermion compound URu2Si2 suppresses the hidden order transition and gives rise to ferromagnetism at higher concentrations. The hidden order transition of URu(2-x)Re(x)Si2, tracked via specific heat and electrical resistivity measurements, decreases in temperature and broadens, and is no longer observed for x>0.1. A critical scaling analysis of the bulk magnetization indicates that the ferromagnetic ordering temperature and ordered moment are suppressed continuously towards zero at a critical concentration of x = 0.15, accompanied by the additional suppres…
Photoinduced hidden phases are often observed in materials with intertwined orders. Understanding the formation of these non-thermal phases is challenging and requires a resolution of the cooperative interplay between different orders on the ultrashort timescale. In this work, we demonstrate that non-equilibrium photo-excitations can induce a state with spin-orbital orders entirely different from the equilibrium state in the three-quarter-filled two-band Hubbard model. We identify a general mechanism governing the transition to the hidden state, which relies on a non-thermal partial melting of…
We discuss the conclusions on the symmetry of hidden order (HO) in URu2Si2 that may be drawn from recent torque experiments in rotating magnetic field by Okazaki et al. [1]. They are very sensitive to changes in the magnetic susceptibility induced by HO. We show that the observed twofold angular torque oscillations give evidence that hidden order has degenerate E- type (yz,zx) symmetry where both components are realised. The oscillations have the wrong characteristics or are absent for the 1D nontrivial representations like quadrupolar B1 (x^2-y^2) and B2 (xy) type HO or hexadecapolar A2(xy(x^…
In the hidden order of URu2Si2 the resistivity at very low temperature shows no T^2 behavior above the transition to superconductivity. However, when entering the antiferromagnetic phase, the Fermi liquid behavior is recovered. We discuss the change of the inelastic term when entering the AF phase with pressure considering the temperature dependence of the Grueneisen parameter at ambient pressure and the influence of superconductivity by an extrapolation of high field data.
Motivated by experiment, we argue that the enigmatic hidden order in $URu_2Si_2$ demands a dual description that encompasses both its itinerant and its local aspects. A combination of symmetry considerations and observation allow us to rule out a number of possibilities. The two remaining scenarios, the quadrupolar charge density wave and the orbital antiferromagnet, are discussed and experiments are suggested to select between these proposals.
Simultaneous neutron-scattering and thermal expansion measurements on the heavy-fermion superconductor URu2Si2 under hydrostatic pressure of 0.67 GPa have been performed in order to detect the successive paramagnetic, hidden order, and large moment antiferromagnetic phases on cooling. The temperature dependence of the sharp low energy excitation at the wavevector Q_0=(100) shows that this excitation is clearly a signature of the hidden order state. In the antiferromagnetic phase, this collective mode disappears. The higher energy excitation at the incommensurate wavevector Q_1=(1.4,0,0) persis…
Throughout the past three decades the hidden order (HO) problem in URu$_2$Si$_2$ has remained a "hot topic" in the physics of strongly correlated electron systems with well over 600 publications related to this subject. Presently in 2014 there has been significant progress in combining various experimental results embedded within electronic structure calculations using density functional theory (DFT) to give a consistent description of the itinerant behaviour of the HO transition and its low temperature state. Here we review six different experiments: ARPES, quantum oscillations, neutron scatt…
Laser driving in systems with competing or coupled electronic orders can lead to the enhancement of orders, or even to the appearance of hidden phases without an equilibrium analogue. Here we consider a model for A$_3$C$_{60}$ which exhibits a unique interplay between conventional and odd-frequency (or composite) orders. In particular, we show that photo-doping of the antiferromagnetic Mott insulating phase, as realized in Cs$_3$C$_{60}$, results in a paramagnetic gapped state with broken orbital symmetry. This hidden phase, which does not exist under equilibrium conditions, can be interpreted…
Using a large-N approach, we demonstrate that the differential conductance and quasi-particle interference pattern measured in recent scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments (A.R. Schmidt et al. Nature 465, 570 (2010); P. Aynajian et al., PNAS 107, 10383 (2010)) in URu2Si2 are consistent with the emergence of a coherent Kondo lattice below its hidden order transition (HOT). Its formation is driven by a significant increase in the quasi-particle lifetime, which could arise from the emergence of a yet unknown order parameter at the HOT.
Solids with strong electron correlations generally develop exotic phases of electron matter at low temperatures. Among such systems, the heavy-fermion semi-metal URu2Si2 presents an enigmatic transition at To = 17.5 K to a `hidden order' state whose order parameter remains unknown after 23 years of intense research. Various experiments point to the reconstruction and partial gapping of the Fermi surface when the hidden-order establishes. However, up to now, the question of how this transition affects the electronic spectrum at the Fermi surface has not been directly addressed by a spectroscopi…