Quantum-critical phase from frustrated magnetism in a strongly correlated metal

Strange-metal phenomena often develop at the border of antiferromagnetic order in strongly correlated metals 1 . Previous work established that they can originate from the fluctuations anchored by the quantum-critical point associated with a continuous quantum phase transition out of the antiferromagnetic order 2 – 4 . What is still unclear is how these phenomena can be associated with a potential new phase of matter at zero temperature. Here, we show that magnetic frustration of the 4 f local moments in the distorted kagome intermetallic compound cerium palladium aluminium gives rise to such a paramagnetic quantum-critical phase. Our discovery motivates a design principle for strongly correlated metallic states with unconventional excitations.