Thermal conductivity of RB6 (R=Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm,Gd) single crystals

The thermal conductivity κ of RB6(R=Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm,Gd) single crystals was measured. Information on the inelastic scattering of electrons by various mechanisms for heat current was obtained, i.e., scattering by crystal-field splitting, level splitting accompanied with antiferromagnetic ordering, magnons, and short-range ordering. In PrB6, NdB6, and CeB6, in the paramagnetic region, a pronounced decrease of the Lorentz number L was observed below ∼20, ∼15, and ∼25 K, respectively, which indicates an increase of the inelastic scattering. By comparing the temperature dependence on the spin-lattice relaxation rate T1-1 in the first two compounds, it is found to be due to short-range magnetic ordering in these compounds. In CeB6, a decrease of L below ∼25 K should be due to short-range quadrupole ordering, which may be related to the unusual behavior of T1-1 and the unusual properties in the paramagnetic region in this compound. κ of SmB6 shows a pronounced increase below ∼40 K, that is related to the gap opening in this compound. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society