Kondo Destruction in RKKY-Coupled Kondo Lattice and Multi-Impurity Systems

Ammar Nejati, Katinka Ballmann, and Johann Kroha
Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 117204 – Published 14 March 2017
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Abstract

In a Kondo lattice, the spin exchange coupling between a local spin and the conduction electrons acquires nonlocal contributions due to conduction electron scattering from surrounding local spins and the subsequent RKKY interaction. It leads to a hitherto unrecognized interference of Kondo screening and the RKKY interaction beyond the Doniach scenario. We develop a renormalization group theory for the RKKY-modified Kondo vertex. The Kondo temperature TK(y) is suppressed in a universal way, controlled by the dimensionless RKKY coupling parameter y. Complete spin screening ceases to exist beyond a critical RKKY strength yc even in the absence of magnetic ordering. At this breakdown point, TK(y) remains nonzero and is not defined for larger RKKY couplings y>yc. The results are in quantitative agreement with STM spectroscopy experiments on tunable two-impurity Kondo systems. The possible implications for quantum critical scenarios in heavy-fermion systems are discussed.

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  • Received 8 December 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.117204

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Ammar Nejati1, Katinka Ballmann1, and Johann Kroha1,2,*

  • 1Physikalisches Institut and Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
  • 2Center for Correlated Matter, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China

  • *kroha@physik.uni-bonn.de

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Issue

Vol. 118, Iss. 11 — 17 March 2017

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