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Spin glass effects and nonexistence of a ferromagnetic quantum critical point in the compositionally tuned FeGa3−xGex metallic quantum ferromagnets (x=0.0−0.16)

Stanislav Vrtnik1,2, Primož Koželj1,2, Magdalena Wencka1,3, Kristian Bader4, Julia Petrović1, Jože Luzar1, Peter Mihor1, Andreja Jelen1, Peter Gille4 et al.

Janez Dolinšek1,2,*

  • *Contact author. jani.dolinsek@ijs.si
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Phys. Rev. B 112, 104420 – Published 11 September, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/8dh8-91qh

Abstract

Searching for a ferromagnetic (FM) quantum critical point of a compositionally tuned system, we have investigated experimentally the quantum phase transition (QPT) in the FeGa3−xGex (x=0.0−0.16) metallic quantum ferromagnet, by using crystallographically oriented single-crystalline samples with the Ge contents x below and within the quantum critical regime. Performing the measurements of dc and ac magnetic susceptibility and M(H) curves down to the temperature of 0.4 K in low magnetic fields 0.01–25 mT, and the measurements of electrical resistivity and specific heat down to 0.35 K, we found that there is no direct, continuous transition from the paramagnetic to the FM state and consequently no FM quantum critical point in the compositional phase diagram, but the QPT involves an intermediate canonical spin glass (SG) state at x≈ 0.12–0.16. The compositional region of the SG state is narrow, it is formed at low temperatures (the spin freezing temperatures are in the range 1.1–1.8 K) and the coupling between the spins is weak, so that the SG ordering is fragile with respect to the external magnetic field. The analysis of the ac susceptibility via the Cole-Cole diagrams in the QPT region has revealed that the slowing-down spin dynamics of the SG state remains thermally activated down to the lowest investigated temperature of 0.4 K, so that the regime of quantum fluctuations is not yet entered. The employed experimental conditions have enabled us to follow the formation of fragile magnetic ordering in the FeGa3−xGex compositionally tuned system in its infancy state.

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Phys. Rev. B 112, 104420– Published 11 September, 2025
  • Received 22 April 2025
  • Revised 25 August 2025
  • Accepted 27 August 2025
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