Role of f electrons in rare-earth and uranium intermetallics-An alternative look at heavy-fermion phenomena

摘要

The understanding of magnetic and electronic properties of rare-earthintermetallics is summarized. The properties of NdNi5 or ErNi5 are understoodby considering a few electronic subsystems like the f electronic subsystem andthe conduction-electron subsystem. The localized f electrons can give asubstantial contribution to the low temperature specific heat with the entropyof R ln2 in case of Kramers ions. In this view the heavy-fermion behaviour isrelated with the removal of the Kramers degeneracy of the ground state of the felectronic subsystem.