Prospects of quantum phase transition in Ce(Fe1−xNix)2 compounds

We report a study on the competition between soft ferromagnetism (FM) and enhanced Pauli paramagnetism (PM) in Ce(Fe1−xNix)2 (x=0.0, 0.5, 0.8) compounds under doping. We provide convincing experimental evidence for the occurrence of a ferromagnetic (FM) phase and a paramagnetic (PM) phase at different concentrations. The quality of the samples was established by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Quantification of f-d hybridization was made from high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A proportionality was found between 'x' dependencies of fall of f-d hybridization strength and magnetic order. A prediction that a quantum critical point may exist at a nickel concentration x close to 0.69 can be made from the extrapolation of x dependent Curie temperature (Tc) plot.