Electron nematic effect induced by magnetic field in antiferroquadrupole phase of CeB6

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 7; no. 1
• Main Authors: Demishev, S. V., Krasnorussky, V. N., Bogach, A. V., Voronov, V. V., Shitsevalova, N. Yu, Filipov, V. B., Glushkov, V. V., Sluchanko, N. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 12-12-2017
• Subjects: 639/766/119/995; 639/766/119/997; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17608-3

Spatial anisotropy generated spontaneously in the translationally invariant metallic phase, i.e. electron nematic effect, addresses a great challenge for both experimentalists and theoreticians. An interesting option for the realization of the electron nematic phase is provided by the system with orbital ordering, as long as both orbitally ordered states and electron nematic phases possess broken spatial symmetry. Here we report the detailed study of the angular dependences of the magnetoresistance in the orbitally ordered antiferroquadrupole (AFQ) phase of CeB
6
. Our data allowed revealing the electron nematic effect, which develops when magnetic field exceeds a critical value of 0.3–0.5T. As a result, new transition inside the AFQ phase corresponding to the change of the symmetry of magnetic scattering on spin fluctuations in CeB
6
is discovered.