A parity-breaking electronic nematic phase transition in the spin-orbit coupled metal Cd 2 Re 2 O 7
Abstract
Strong interactions among electrons in some materials can cause them to assume configurations that are less symmetric than the underlying crystal lattice. These so-called electronic nematic states usually have inversion symmetry, but theorists have predicted that in metals with strong spin-orbit coupling, the inversion symmetry can be lost. Harter et al. teased out the symmetry of the electronic order in the compound Cd 2 Re 2 O 7 (see the Perspective by Dodge). They found that a known structural transition in this material is a consequence of another, previously hidden electronic order that breaks inversion symmetry.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 21, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.aad1188
Entities
People
- David Hsieh
- David Mandrus
- Jiaqiang Yan
- John Harter
- Zhiying Zhao
Organizations
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Army Research Office
- California Institute of Technology
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- National Science Foundation
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- United States Department of Energy
- University of Tennessee