LETTER TO THE EDITOR: First-order valence transition in YbInCu4 in the (B,T)-plane
Abstract
The puzzling properties of the first-order phase transition in YbInCu4 and its alloys in the wide range of magnetic fields and temperatures are perfectly described in terms of a simple entropy transition for free Yb ions. In particular, it turns out that the transition line in the (B,T)-plane is very close to the elliptic shape, as it has been observed experimentally. Similar calculations are done, and the experiments are proposed for the (γ-α) phase transition in Ce in Megagauss fields. We speculate, that in the case of YbInCu4 the first-order transition is a Mott transition between a higher temperature phase in which localized moments are stabilized by the entropy terms in the free energy, and a band-like non-magnetic ground state of the f-electrons.
- Publication:
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Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
- Pub Date:
- November 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0953-8984/12/47/102
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0008134
- Bibcode:
- 2000JPCM...12L.711D
- Keywords:
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- Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons
- E-Print:
- RevTeX, 5 pages, 2 figures