Abstract
We report measurements and data analysis of specific heat, susceptibility, and transport properties of in the temperature range between 2 and 300 K, and in magnetic fields of 0 and 5 T. The data can be consistently explained within the local-moment crystal-field theory with two close-lying doublets, and , in the ground state and a excited quartet, and with very weak or even absent Kondo effect. The crystal-field scheme proposed by this work, which differs from the one widely accepted in the literature, provides a better understanding of the relevant energy scales and the valence transition in the .
- Received 3 December 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.79.165112
©2009 American Physical Society