Competing ground states in LuFe₄Ge₂ tuned by external pressure

Tuning competing ground-state properties using external pressure has attracted much attention in current condensed matter research. This is due to the fact that exotic phenomena and unconventional phases occur in regions of competing energy scales. Here, we present an investigation on LuFe₄Ge₂ by electrical resistivity experiments under external pressure in order to understand the interplay between competing ground states in a frustrated, itinerant magnetic system. At ambient pressure LuFe₄Ge₂ orders antiferromagnetically below 32 K. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition is connected with a structural transition. We have established the temperature - pressure phase diagram: pressure suppresses the original antiferromagnetically ordered state to zero temperature at around 1.7 GPa. Upon further increasing pressure a new pressure-induced phase emerges. This phase exhibits a qualitatively different magnetoresistance compared with the AFM phase suggesting a different type of ordering than at lower pressures. Furthermore, above 1.5 GPa we find a metamagnetic transition at higher magnetic fields. The onset of this phase shifts to lower fields with increasing pressure. Further studies to understand the nature of the new phases are on the way.