title: Field-induced density wave in the heavy-fermion compound CeRhIn₅.
abstract: Strong electron correlations lead to a variety of distinct ground states, such as magnetism, charge order or superconductivity. Understanding the competitive or cooperative interplay between neighbouring phases is an outstanding challenge in physics. CeRhIn₅ is a prototypical example of a heavy-fermion superconductor: it orders anti-ferromagnetically below 3.8 K, and moderate hydrostatic pressure suppresses the anti-ferromagnetic order inducing unconventional superconductivity. Here we show evidence for a phase transition to a state akin to a density wave (DW) under high magnetic fields (>27 T) in high-quality single crystal microstructures of CeRhIn₅. The DW is signalled by a hysteretic anomaly in the in-plane resistivity accompanied by non-linear electrical transport, yet remarkably thermodynamic measurements suggest that the phase transition involves only small portions of the Fermi surface. Such a subtle order might be a common feature among correlated electron systems, reminiscent of the similarly subtle charge DW state in the cuprates.
authors: Solid State Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Philip J W
authors: PJ
authors: Moll
authors: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA.
authors: Bin
authors: 0000000200904371
authors: B
authors: Zeng
authors: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 E. Paul Dirac Dr, Tallahassee, Florida 32310, USA.
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Balicas
authors: Solid State Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Stanislaw
authors: S
authors: Galeski
authors: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, LANL, E536, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
authors: Fedor F
authors: FF
authors: Balakirev
authors: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA.
authors: Eric D
authors: ED
authors: Bauer
authors: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA.
authors: Filip
authors: F
authors: Ronning