- Accepted Paper
Emergent heavy-fermion behavior from - and - hybridization in the quadruple perovskite CeCuRuO
Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 17 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3ktt-1x4q
Phys. Rev. B - Accepted 17 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3ktt-1x4q
Strongly correlated 4- and 5-electron systems often exhibit large effective masses due to cooperation between orbital hybridization and electron localization. In this context, the quadruple perovskite ruthenates CuRuO have attracted considerable interest as rare example of heavy-fermion-like behavior arising from -electron. However, the role of -site cation substitution and its influence on the electronic structure remain unexplored. Here, we report a comprehensive study on the electronic properties of a newly synthesized CeCuRuO sample, performing using synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and photoemission spectroscopy (PES). By optimizing the Ru content under high-pressure synthesis conditions, we obtained a metallic compound exhibiting the highest electronic specific heat coefficient ( 156 mJ/molK) within the CuRuO family, together with a reduced effective magnetic moment ( 2.10 /f.u.), indicating strong electronic correlations and substantial screening of local magnetic moments. The Ce -edge XAS measurements revealed an intermediate valence state (Ce), indicative of 4–4 hybridization. A chemical shift observed in the Cu -edge absorption suggests a modified Cu valence state, likely arising from indirect – interactions mediated by oxygen ligands. The PES measurements uncover a peak at 19 meV near the Fermi level whose energy and intensity show pronounced temperature dependence below 100 K, resembling the evolution of Kondo resonance peaks seen in -electron systems. These findings suggest the coexistence of – and – hybridization at different crystallographic sites is likely an important factor for the enhanced , reduced , and Fermi-liquid behavior in CeCuRuO, offering a platform to explore correlated-electron phenomena in mixed-valent oxide systems.
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