Change of Electronic Structure Induced by Magnetic Transitions in CeBi

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the electronic structure of CeBi arising from two types of antiferromagnetic transitions based on optical conductivity ($\sigma (\omega )$) was observed. The $\sigma (\omega )$ spectrum continuously and discontinuously changes at 25 and 11 K, respectively. Between these temperatures, two peaks in the spectrum rapidly shift to the opposite energy sides as the temperature changes. Through a comparison with the band calculation as well as with the theoretical $\sigma (\omega )$ spectrum, this peak shift was explained by the energy shift of the Bi $6p$ band due to the mixing effect between the Ce $4f{\Gamma }_8$ and Bi $6p$ states. The single-layer antiferromagnetic ($+-$) transition from the paramagnetic state was concluded to be of the second order. The marked changes in the $\sigma (\omega )$ spectrum at 11 K, however, indicated the change in the electronic structure was due to a first-order-like magnetic transition from a single-layer to a double-layer ($++--$) antiferromagnetic phase.

4 pages, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 73 Aug. (2004)