Published May 1, 2006 | Version v1
Journal article

Ultrasonic dispersion and off-center rattling in heavy fermion superconductor PrOs4Sb12

  • 1. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata 950 2181 (Japan)
  • 2. Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata 950 2181 (Japan)
  • 3. University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 0319 (United States)
  • 4. Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770 8502 (Japan)
  • 5. Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji 192 0397 (Japan)

Description

Ultrasonic attenuation measurements have been firstly performed for a large single crystal of PrOs4Sb12 with the dimensions of 5.97x0.6x0.6mm3. Remarkable frequency dependence around 20-40K has been observed in the elastic constant and attenuation coefficient of the longitudinal C11 mode associated with Eg symmetry strain in part, which results from a thermally activated off-center rattling with Eg symmetry of a Pr ion inside a Sb icosahedron cage. Parameters of a characteristic time τ0=3.1x10-11s and an activation energy E=225K were obtained. This Eg rattling involving a local charge fluctuation inside a Sb cage periodically arranged may couple to the conduction electrons. As a result, the electron-phonon coupling would lead to heavy fermion and its superconductivity in PrOs4Sb12

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.physb.2006.01.070;
PII
S0921-4526(06)00077-9;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physica. B, Condensed Matter
Journal Volume
378-380
Journal Page Range
p. 184-186
ISSN
0921-4526
CODEN
PHYBE3

Conference

Title
International conference on strongly correlated electron systems
Acronym
SCES 2005
Dates
26-30 Jul 2005
Place
Vienna (Austria)

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2006 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.