Authors: W. Knafo, T. Thebault, S. Raymond, P. Manuel, D. D. Khalyavin, F. Orlandi, E. Ressouche, K. Beauvois, G. Lapertot, K. Kaneko, D. Aoki, D. Braithwaite, G. Knebel
Published: 2025-05-30
DOI: 10.1103/physrevx.15.021075
Source: Full article
The discovery of multiple superconducting phases in UTe2 boosted research on correlated-electron physics. This heavy-fermion paramagnet was rapidly identified as a reference compound to study the interplay between magnetism and unconventional superconductivity with multiple degrees of freedom. The proximity to a ferromagnetic quantum phase transition was initially proposed as a driving force to triplet-pairing superconductivity. However, we find here that long-range incommensurate antiferromagnetic order is established under pressure. The propagation vector km=(0.07,0.33,1) of the antiferromagnetic phase is close to a wave vector where antiferromagnetic fluctuations have previously been observed at ambient pressure. These elements support that UTe2 is a nearly antiferromagnet at ambient pressure. Our work appeals for theories modeling the evolution of the magnetic interactions and electronic properties, driving a correlated paramagnetic regime at ambient pressure to a long-range antiferromagnetic order under pressure. A deeper understanding of itinerant-f-electron magnetism in UTe2 will be a key for describing its unconventional superconducting phases.