Heavy-electron behavior in single-crystal YbNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.54.R3772· OSTI ID:286710

Yatskar, A; Budraa, N K; Beyermann, W P ^[1]; Canfield, P C; Budko, S L ^[2]

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1. University of California, Riverside, California 92521 (United States)
2. Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

We have measured the magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and electrical resistivity on single crystals of the intermetallic borocarbide YbNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C. An enhanced linear contribution is observed in the specific heat with a Sommerfeld coefficient of 530 mJ/molK{sup 2}, indicative of a heavy-electron system with a Kondo temperature {approximately}10 K. The magnetic susceptibility, which is anisotropic and Curie-Weiss-like at high temperatures, is also consistent with our interpretation of a strongly correlated ground state at low temperatures and crystal-electric- field excitations at higher temperatures. At {ital T}=1.8 K, the Wilson ratio is determined to be 0.85 using the high-temperature effective moment. The resistivity shows a quadratic temperature dependence below 1.5 K with a {ital T}{sup 2} coefficient of 1.2 {mu}{Omega}cmK{sup {minus}2}. Unlike the other members of the series {ital R}Ni{sub 2}B{sub 2}C ({ital R}=Y, Gd{endash}Lu), YbNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C does not order above our lowest measurement temperature of 0.34 K. The suppression of superconductivity in YbNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C is consistent with a significantly enhanced hybridization between the conduction electrons and the 4{ital f} states. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• OSTI ID: 286710
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 54; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BORON CARBIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
MONOCRYSTALS
NICKEL CARBIDES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUATERNARY COMPOUNDS
SPECIFIC HEAT
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0013-0065 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
YTTERBIUM CARBIDES