Antiferro Quadrupole Orders in Non-Kramers Doublet Systems

Abstract

We investigate antiferro quadrupole orders in systems with non-Kramers doublet ground state with total angular momentum J=4 in T_d point group symmetry. We demonstrate that a pure O_2^2 antiferro quadrupole order is impossible in general crystalline-electric field potential and should be accompanied by ferro O_2^0 quadrupole moment. The temperature and magnetic-field phase diagram is obtained by mean-field approximation of intersite quadrupole interactions and the excitation spectrum is analyzed by "spin"-wave approximations. Gapless excitations emerge at the boader of antiferro O_2^2 quadrupole phases under magnetic field. Quadrupole susceptibilities in the antiferro quadrupole ordered state exhibit unusual singularity and especially the uniform quadrupole susceptibility diverges in addition to the staggered ones. These unusual singularities are also realized at the critical field along [111] direction. We also discuss recent experimental results in PrT_2X_{20}(T=Ir, Rh, Ti, V, and X=Zn, Al).