The antiferroquadrupolar ordering of PrFe4โP12โ is explored by
probing thermal and thermoelectric transport. The lattice thermal conductivity
drastically increases with the ordering, as a consequence of a large drop in
carrier concentration and a strong electron-phonon coupling. The low level of
carrier density in the ordered state is confirmed by the anomalously large
values of the Seebeck and Nernst coefficients. The results are reminiscent of
URu2โSi2โ and suggest that both belong to the same class of aborted
metal-insulator transitions. The magnitude of the Nernst coefficient, larger
than in any other metal, indicates a new route for Ettingshaussen cooling at
Kelvin temperatures.Comment: final published versio