Hybridized and Localized 4f Electronic States of Nd-based Intermetallic Compounds in Cubic Symmetry Probed by High-Energy Photoemission

TL;DR

This study investigates the electronic states of Nd-based intermetallic compounds using high-energy photoemission, revealing hybridization effects and potential two-channel Kondo phenomena in specific compounds.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the 4f electronic states and hybridization effects in NdTi2Al20 and NdBe13 using advanced spectroscopic techniques.

Findings

Finite 4f4 initial-state components in NdTi2Al20 indicating hybridization.

Dominant 4f3 localized states in NdBe13.

Evidence of overscreening and two-channel Kondo effect in NdTi2Al20.

Abstract

We have performed soft and hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopies on NdTi2Al20 and NdBe13 which show antiferromagnetic ordering at low temperatures. The Nd 3d core-level photoemission and Nd 3d-4f valence-band resonant photoemission spectra show finite 4f4 initial-state components in addition to the 4f3 configurations attributed to the c-f hybridization effects in NdTi2Al20, while the 4f3 initial-state components with localized character are dominant in NdBe13. These results imply the emergence of overscreening channel due to the two-channel Kondo effect in NdTi2Al20 through the the strong c-f hybridization effect.