Kondo lattices with inequivalent local moments: Competitive vs. co-operative Kondo screening

Abstract

While standard heavy fermion metals feature a single spin-1/2 local moment per unit cell, more complicated systems with multiple distinct local moments have been synthesized as well, with Ce_3Pd_20(Si,Ge)_6 being one example. Here, we discuss the physics of a Kondo lattice model with two local-moment sublattices, coupled with different Kondo couplings to conduction electrons. The phase diagram will be strongly modified from that of the standard Kondo lattice if the characteristic screening temperatures of the distinct moments are well separated. Therefore, we investigate the interplay between the two Kondo effects using a local self-energy approximation via slave bosons. We find that the two Kondo effects can either compete or co-operate depending on the conduction-band filling. In the regime of competition, small differences in the two Kondo couplings can lead to huge differences in the respective Kondo scales, due to non-trivial many-body effects. We also study the low-temperature properties of the collective heavy Fermi-liquid state and propose a connection to depleted Kondo lattice systems.

14 pages, 15 figures

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