Evolution from a heavy-fermion metal to an antiferromagnetic insulator in the -site ordered perovskite
Phys. Rev. B 113, 085117 – Published 10 February, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/hdnd-sd52
Abstract
Materials tunable between heavy-fermion metals and antiferromagnetic insulators near quantum criticality are promising candidates for exploring unconventional superconductivity, yet such a behavior is rare in transition metal oxides. Here, we report the high-pressure synthesis and characterization of two Pb-based -site ordered perovskites, and , which are characterized as a heavy-fermion metal and an antiferromagnetic insulator, respectively. Systematic -site substitution in () reveals a continuous evolution of electronic and magnetic properties, with intermediate compositions exhibiting divergent low-temperature specific heat, indicative of proximity to a quantum critical point. The experimental observation supported by density functional theory calculations reveal that exhibits more enhanced effective mass than , attributed to its enhanced Fermi-level density of states and narrower bandwidth, driven by the elongated Ru-O bonds and the covalent character of . These results establish as a rare platform to study quantum criticality and strong correlations in transition-metal oxides and demonstrate that combine -site and -site tuning provides an effective route to tailor electronic and magnetic properties.