title: Volume-wise destruction of the antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state through quantum tuning.
abstract: RENiO3 (RE=rare-earth element) and V2O3 are archetypal Mott insulator systems. When tuned by chemical substitution (RENiO3) or pressure (V2O3), they exhibit a quantum phase transition (QPT) between an antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state and a paramagnetic metallic state. Because novel physics often appears near a Mott QPT, the details of this transition, such as whether it is first or second order, are important. Here, we demonstrate through muon spin relaxation/rotation (μSR) experiments that the QPT in RENiO3 and V2O3 is first order: the magnetically ordered volume fraction decreases to zero at the QPT, resulting in a broad region of intrinsic phase separation, while the ordered magnetic moment retains its full value until it is suddenly destroyed at the QPT. These findings bring to light a surprising universality of the pressure-driven Mott transition, revealing the importance of phase separation and calling for further investigation into the nature of quantum fluctuations underlying the transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4047-9453
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Frandsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Sky C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Zurab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guguchia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rustem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khasanov
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Muon Spin Spectroscopy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Elvezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morenzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.
authors.forename: Timothy J S
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Munsie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.
authors.forename: Alannah M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hallas
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.
authors.forename: Murray N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.
authors.forename: Yipeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.|Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1.
authors.forename: Graeme M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4762-1173
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Bijuan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Wenmin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Changqing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Cui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Shengli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
authors.forename: Fanlong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi U
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Higemoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.|Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
authors.forename: Simon J L
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9734-4998
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Billinge
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Taito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy and Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3911-9864
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), CSIC, Madrid E-28049, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.|Department of Physics &Astronomy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8019, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kotliar
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imada
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Yasutomo J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Uemura