Screened moments and extrinsic in-gap states in samarium hexaboride

W. T. Fuhrman (), J. R. Chamorro, P. A. Alekseev, J.-M. Mignot, T. Keller, J. A. Rodriguez-Rivera, Y. Qiu, P. Nikolić, T. M. McQueen and C. L. Broholm
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W. T. Fuhrman: The Johns Hopkins University
J. R. Chamorro: The Johns Hopkins University
P. A. Alekseev: National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”
J.-M. Mignot: CEA-CNRS
T. Keller: Max Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung
J. A. Rodriguez-Rivera: University of Maryland
Y. Qiu: National Institute of Standards and Technology
P. Nikolić: The Johns Hopkins University
T. M. McQueen: The Johns Hopkins University
C. L. Broholm: The Johns Hopkins University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Samarium hexaboride (SmB6) is a Kondo insulator, with a narrow gap due to hybridization between localized and conduction electrons. Despite being an insulator, many samples show metal-like properties. Rare-earth purification is exceedingly difficult, and nominally pure samples may contain 2% or more of impurities. Here to determine the effects of rare-earth doping on SmB6, we synthesized and probed a series of gadolinium-doped samples. We found a relationship between specific heat and impurity moment screening which scales systematically. Consistent with this finding, our neutron scattering experiments of a high purity sample of doubly isotopic 154Sm11B6 show no intrinsic excitations below the well-established 13 meV spin-exciton. The result of introducing impurities into a Kondo insulator is incompletely understood, but it is clear from our measurements that there is a systematic relationship between rare-earth impurities and metal-like properties in SmB6.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04007-z

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