We analyze the magnetic and electronic properties of the quantum critical heavy fermion superconductor beta-YbAlB4, calculating the Fermi surface and the angular dependence of the extremal orbits relevant to the de Haas--van Alphen measurements. Using a combination of the realistic materials modeling and single-ion crystal field analysis, we are led to propose a layered Kondo lattice model for this system, in which two dimensional boron layers are Kondo coupled via interlayer Yb moments in a Jz=±5/2 state. This model fits the measured single ion magnetic susceptibility and predicts a substantial change in the electronic anisotropy as the system is pressure-tuned through the quantum critical point.
@article{arxiv.0811.3220,
title = {Layered Kondo lattice model for quantum critical beta-YbAlB4},
author = {Andriy H. Nevidomskyy and P. Coleman},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0811.3220},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
Fig.3 and 4 have been updated, typos corrected in v2. Published at http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.077202