Quantum critical point followed by Kondo-like behavior due to Cu substitution in the itinerant antiferromagnet
Phys. Rev. B 113, 085114 – Published 9 February, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/4v32-7zvt
Abstract
is an itinerant magnetic system with a small ordered moment of and a series of antiferromagnetic (AFM) transitions at , and . , and isotherms as well as constant field and measurements on single-crystalline samples manifest a complex, anisotropic phase diagram with multiple phase lines. Here we present the growth and characterization of single crystals of the series for 0 0.181. We measured powder x-ray diffraction and composition, as well as anisotropic temperature- and field-dependent resistivity, temperature- and field-dependent magnetization, and temperature-dependent heat capacity on these single crystals. Using the measured data we infer a transition temperature-composition phase diagram for this system to study the evolution of the AFM ordering upon Cu substitution. For , the system remains magnetically ordered at base temperature with 0.012, showing signs of multiple AFM ordering temperatures. For the higher substitution levels , there are no signatures of magnetic ordering, but anomalous features in resistance and heat capacity data are observed which are consistent with the Kondo effect in this system. The intermediate sample lies between the magnetic ordered and the Kondo regime and is in the vicinity of the AFM quantum critical point (QCP). Thus, is an example of a small moment system that can be tuned through a QCP. Given these data combined with the fact that the structure has kagomelike, Ni sublattices running perpendicular to the crystallographic axis, and a predicted -electron flat band that contributes to the density of states near the Fermi energy, becomes a promising system to host and study exotic physics.