Direct probe of Fermi surface evolution across a pressure-induced quantum phase transition

Abstract

The nature of a material's Fermi surface is crucial to understanding its electronic, magnetic, optical, and thermal characteristics. Traditional measurements such as angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and de Haas–van Alphen quantum oscillations can be difficult to perform in the vicinity of a pressure-driven quantum phase transition, although the evolution of the Fermi surface may be tied to the emergence of exotic phenomena. We demonstrate here that magnetic x-ray diffraction in combination with Hall effect measurements in a diamond anvil cell can provide valuable insight into the Fermi surface evolution in spin- and charge-density-wave systems near quantum phase transitions. In particular, we track the gradual evolution of the Fermi surface in elemental chromium and delineate the critical pressure and absence of Fermi surface reconstruction at the spin-flip transition.