Evidence for a nematic component to the hidden-order parameter in URu2Si2 from differential elastoresistance measurements

Scott C Riggs; M C Shapiro; Akash V Maharaj; S Raghu; E D Bauer; R E Baumbach; P Giraldo-Gallo; Mark Wartenbe; I R Fisher

doi:10.1038/ncomms7425

Evidence for a nematic component to the hidden-order parameter in URu2Si2 from differential elastoresistance measurements

Nat Commun. 2015 Mar 6:6:6425. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7425.

Authors

Scott C Riggs¹, M C Shapiro¹, Akash V Maharaj², S Raghu², E D Bauer³, R E Baumbach³, P Giraldo-Gallo², Mark Wartenbe⁴, I R Fisher¹

Affiliations

¹ 1] Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA [2] Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
² 1] Stanford Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA [2] Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
³ Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
⁴ National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA.

PMID: 25742938
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7425

Abstract

For materials that harbour a continuous phase transition, the susceptibility of the material to various fields can be used to understand the nature of the fluctuating order and hence the nature of the ordered state. Here we use anisotropic biaxial strain to probe the nematic susceptibility of URu2Si2, a heavy fermion material for which the nature of the low temperature 'hidden order' state has defied comprehensive understanding for over 30 years. Our measurements reveal that the fluctuating order has a nematic component, confirming reports of twofold anisotropy in the broken symmetry state and strongly constraining theoretical models of the hidden-order phase.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.