From unconventional insulating behavior towards conventional magnetism in the intermediate-valence compound SmB6
Abstract
In intermediate valence compounds, the subtle quantum equilibrium of two microscopic configurations is at the origin of a very rich physics. SmB6 is a famous example as it displays an intriguing semiconducting behavior at low pressure and a magnetic phase at high pressure. New transport measurements on SmB6 under hydrostatic conditions show that the two phenomena are intimately linked. The insulating state vanishes just at the pressure (p=10GPa) where homogeneous long range magnetic order appears. A comparison to previous specific heat experiments clearly points out that a magnetic anomaly is observed in resistivity measurements when excellent hydrostatic conditions are realized. The particular sensitivity of SmB6 to pressure inhomogeneities may reflect the strong anisotropy in the band structure.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review B
- Pub Date:
- May 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.77.193107
- Bibcode:
- 2008PhRvB..77s3107D
- Keywords:
-
- 71.27.+a;
- 75.20.Hr;
- 75.30.Mb;
- Strongly correlated electron systems;
- heavy fermions;
- Local moment in compounds and alloys;
- Kondo effect valence fluctuations heavy fermions;
- Valence fluctuation Kondo lattice and heavy-fermion phenomena