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Sereni, J. G. "Thermodynamic analysis of the quantum critical behavior of Ce-lattice compounds." Philosophical Magazine 93, no. 4 (2013): 409–433.
Abstract: A systematic analysis of low-temperature magnetic phase diagrams of Ce compounds is performed in order to recognize the thermodynamic conditions to be fulfilled by those systems to reach a quantum critical regime or, alternatively, to identify other kinds of low-temperature behavior. Based on specific heat (C m ) and entropy results, three different types of phase diagrams are recognized: (i) with the entropy involved in the ordered phase (S MO) decreasing proportionally to the ordering temperature (T MO); (ii) those showing a transference of degrees of freedom from the ordered phase to a non-magnetic component, with their C m (T MO) jumps (ΔC m ) vanishing at finite temperature; and (iii) those ending at a critical point at finite temperature because their ΔC m do not decrease sufficiently with T MO, producing an entropy accumulation at low temperature. Only those systems belonging to the first case, i.e. with S MO → 0 as T MO → 0, can be regarded as candidates for quantum critical behavior. Their magnetic phase boundaries deviate from the classical negative curvature below T ≈ 2.5 K, denouncing monotonic misleading extrapolations down to T = 0. Different characteristic concentrations are recognized and analyzed for Ce-ligand alloyed systems. In particular, a pre-critical region is identified where the nature of the magnetic transition undergoes significant modifications, with its ∂C m /∂T discontinuity strongly affected by the magnetic field and showing an increasing remnant entropy at T → 0. Physical constraints arising from the third law at T → 0 are discussed and recognized from experimental results.
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Sereni, J. G. "Entropy Bottlenecks at T->0 in Ce-Lattice and Related Compounds." Journal of Low Temperature Physics 179, no. 1-2 (2015): 126–137.
Abstract: A number of specific heat Cm anomalies are reported in Ce- and Yb-lattice compounds around 1 K which cannot be associated to usual phase transitions despite of their robust magnetic moments. Instead of a Cm(T) jump, these anomalies show coincident morphology: (i) a significant tail in Cm/T , with similar power law decay above their maxima ( T>Tm ), (ii) whereas a Cm(T2) dependence is observed below Tm . (iii) The comparison of their respective entropy gain Sm(T) indicates that ≈0.7R ln2 is condensed within the T>Tm tail, in coincidence with an exemplary spin-ice compound. Such amount of entropy arises from a significant increase of the density of low energy excitations, reflected in a divergent Cm(T>Tm)/T dependence. (iv) Many of their lattice structures present conditions for magnetic frustration. The origin of these anomalies can be attributed to an interplay between the divergent density of magnetic excitations at T→0 and the limited amount of degrees of freedom: Sm = R ln2 for a doublet-ground state. Due to this “entropy bottleneck,†the paramagnetic minimum of energy blurs out and the system slides into an alternative minimum through a continuous transition. A relevant observation in these very heavy fermion systems is the possible existence of an upper limit for Cm/TLimT→0 ≈7 J/mol K 2 observed in four Yb- and Pr-based compounds.
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Sereni, J. G. "Role of entropy in the ground state formation of frustrated systems." Physica B: Condensed Matter 536 (2018): 397–400.
Abstract: The absence of magnetic order in Rare Earth-based frustrated compounds allows to recognize the action of the third law of thermodynamics in the low temperature behavior of those systems. One of the most relevant findings is the appearance of a coincident specific heat Cm/T|T→0≈7J/molK2 ‘plateau’ in six Yb systems. This characteristic feature occurs after a systematic modification of the thermal trajectory of their entropies Sm(T) in the range of a few hundred milikelvin degrees. Such behavior is explained by the formation of an entropy-bottleneck imposed by the third law constraint (Sm|T→0≥0), that drives the system into alternative ground states. Based in these finding, three possible approaches to the Sm|T→0 limit observed in real systems are analyzed in terms of the ∂2Sm/∂T2 dependencies.
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Sereni, J. G. "Analysis of Entropy trajectories in very Heavy Fermions for Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigeration at the T<1K range." Materials Today: Proceedings 14 (2019): 67–71.
Abstract: With the aim to improve classical paramagnetic salts performances for adiabatic magnetization refrigeration processes, relevant thermodynamic parameters of recently discovered very heavy fermion Yb-based intermetallic compounds are investigated within the sub-Kelvin range of temperature. Focusing on fixed thermal points, required for e.g. photonic devices operating within the 100 mK range in orbital satellites, the nature of respective magnetic ground states are discussed together with the effect of an 'entropy bottleneck' imposed by the Nernst postulate the entropy S(T) trajectories. To gain insight into the main criteria for a proper choice of suitable materials for alternative applications, thermomagnetic S(T,B) trajectories and respective derivatives: δS/δT and δS/δB, are analyzed as key parameters for this magnetocaloric process and compared with those from the classical salt Cerium-Magnesium-Nitride (CMN).
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Sereni, J. G. "Thermomagnetic properties of very heavy fermions suitable for adiabatic demagnetisation refrigeration at low temperature." Philosophical Magazine 100, no. 10 (2020): 1211.
Abstract: With the aim to improve the performance of classical paramagnetic salts for adiabatic refrigeration processes at the sub-Kelvin range, relevant thermodynamic parameters of some new Yb-based intermetallic compounds are analysed and compared. Two main applications are considered: (i) those requiring temperature fixed-points to be reached applying magnetic fields of moderate intensity for satellite applications, and (ii) those which can be used for controlled thermal drifts in laboratory applications. Different thermomagnetic trajectories of the entropy are identified depending on respective specific heat behaviours and the constraints imposed by the Nernst postulate at the sub-Kelvin range. Some simple relationships are proposed to compare the diverse magnetocaloric characteristics of different systems. This procedure allows to include the classical Cerium-Magnesium-Nitride (CMN) salt in that comparison.
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Sereni, J. G., M. Gomez Berisso, A. Braghta, G. Schmerber, and J. P. Kappler. "Unstable Shastry-Sutherland phase in Ce2Pd2Sn." Physical Review B – Condensed Matter and Materials Physics 80, no. 2 (2008): 022428.
Abstract: Thermal (CP) , magnetic ( M and χac ), and transport (Ï) measurements on Ce2Pd2Sn are reported. High-temperature properties are well described by the presence of two excited crystal-field levels at (65±5)K and (230±20)K , with negligible hybridization (Kondo) effects. According to literature, two transitions were observed at TM=4.8K and TC=2.1K , respectively. The upper transition cannot be considered as a standard antiferromagnetic because of frustration effects in a triangular network of Ce atoms and the positive sign of the paramagnetic temperature θPLT=4.4K . The nature of the intermediated phase is described accounting for the formation of ferromagnetic (F) Ce dimers disposed in a quasi-two-dimensional square lattice, resembling a Shastry-Sutherland pattern. According to hysteretic features in Ï(T) and χac(T) , the lower F transition is of first order, with CP(T<TC) revealing a gap of anisotropy Eg≈7K .
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Sereni, J. G., G. Schmerber, and J. P. Kappler. "Thermodynamic Behavior of Ce Compounds Close to a T->0 Critical Point." IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 49, no. 8 (2013): 4647–4651.
Abstract: There is a reduced group of Ce very heavy Fermions (VHF) which do not order magnetically down to at least T ≈ 500 mK because they are very close to a Tord = 0 critical point. These compounds are at the top of the limT→ 0 Cm/T specific heat values because they collect very high density of low energy excitations. From the analysis of Cm(T)/T and entropy Sm(T) dependencies performed on selected CePd3Mx ternaries (where M = B and Be) a quantitative evaluation of an upper limit for the density of excitations can be proposed. These observations exclude any evidence of Cm(T)/T divergency as T→ 0 in agreement with thermodynamic laws. A comparison with selected Yb-base VHF supports these features.
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