Quantum Critical Point in the Spin Glass-Kondo Transition in Heavy Fermion Systems

The Kondo-Spin Glass competition is studied in a theoretical model of a Kondo lattice with an intra-site Kondo type exchange interaction treated within the mean field approximation, an inter-site quantum Ising exchange interaction with random couplings among localized spins and an additional transverse field in the x direction, which represents a simple quantum mechanism of spin flipping. We obtain two second order transition lines from the spin-glass state to the paramagnetic one and then to the Kondo state. For a reasonable set of the different parameters, the two second order transition lines do not intersect and end in two distinct QCP.Comment: 20 pages; 1 figure; to appear in Physical Review

Calorimetric and transport investigations of CePd_{2+x}Ge_{2-x} (x=0 and 0.02) up to 22 GPa

The influence of pressure on the magnetically ordered CePd_{2.02}Ge_{1.98} has been investigated by a combined measurement of electrical resistivity, $\rho(T)$, and ac-calorimetry, C(T), for temperatures in the range 0.3 K<T<10 K and pressures, p, up to 22 GPa. Simultaneously CePd_2Ge_2 has been examined by $\rho(T)$ down to 40 mK. In CePd_{2.02}Ge_{1.98} and CePd_2Ge_2 the magnetic order is suppressed at a critical pressure p_c=11.0 GPa and p_c=13.8 GPa, respectively. In the case of CePd_{2.02}Ge_{1.98} not only the temperature coefficient of $\rho(T)$, A, indicates the loss of magnetic order but also the ac-signal $1/V_{ac}\propto C/T$ recorded at low temperature. The residual resistivity is extremely pressure sensitive and passes through a maximum and then a minimum in the vicinity of p_c. The (T,p) phase diagram and the A(p)-dependence of both compounds can be qualitatively understood in terms of a pressure-tuned competition between magnetic order and the Kondo effect according to the Doniach picture. The temperature-volume (T,V) phase diagram of CePd_2Ge_2 combined with that of CePd_2Si_2 shows that in stoichiometric compounds mainly the change of interatomic distances influences the exchange interaction. It will be argued that in contrast to this the much lower p_c-value of CePd_{2.02}Ge_{1.98} is caused by an enhanced hybridization between 4f and conduction electrons.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Pressure-induced magnetically ordered Kondo lattice state in YbCu

The effect of pressure on the electrical resistivity ρ(T) of several YbCu2Si2 samples was investigated up to 25 GPa and for 30 mK < T < 300 K. With increasing pressure the compound crosses from an intermediate valence state to a magnetic Kondo lattice state at a critical pressure PC ~ 8 GPa. Below PC, i.e. in the non-magnetic phase, ρ = ρ0 + AT2 is found at very low temperature, indicating the validity of the Fermi liquid description. On approaching the magnetic instability, the A coefficient and the residual resistivity ρ0 increase strongly. Close to PC, ρ0 shows a pronounced maximum due to scattering by lattice defects. The pressure variation of the magnetic resistivity ρmag at high temperature is interpreted in the terms of a pressure induced change of the crystal field splitting

Bi,Pb(2212) and Bi(2223) formation in the Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system

A new route has been found for producing the Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy, phase with Pb substituted for part of the Bi (denoted Bi,Pb(2212)). By this novel route, Bi,Pb(2212) has been prepared in air at 860 degrees C. For comparison, this phase has also been prepared in argon at 740 degrees C by the previously known route. Bi,Pb(2212) transforms from a tetragonal to an orthorhombic structure as the Pb content grows. Once this phase was obtained with a nominal composition of Bi2-xPbxSr2CaCu2Oy, with Pb contents x=0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6, the Bi(2223) phase was formed starting from Bi(2212) and Bi,Pb(2212). Single-phase samples were obtained after two heat treatments at 849 degrees C with Bi,Pb(2212) and a proportion of Pb of x=0.4. This proportion corresponds to the one used previously by the authors to obtain high critical current carrying tapes in Ag-clad Bi(2223) tapes