Universal scaling in the dynamical conductivity of heavy fermion Ce and Yb compounds

TL;DR

This study reveals a universal scaling law linking mid-infrared excitation peaks to c-f hybridization strengths in heavy-fermion Ce and Yb compounds, supporting a unified model for their charge excitation spectra.

Contribution

It demonstrates that a simple hybridized band model can universally and quantitatively describe the dynamical conductivity spectra of diverse heavy-fermion compounds.

Findings

Universal scaling between peak energies and hybridization strengths

Mid-infrared peaks observed across all studied compounds

Model accurately describes charge excitation spectra

Abstract

Dynamical conductivity spectra s(w) have been measured for a diverse range of heavy-fermion (HF) Ce and Yb compounds. A characteristic excitation peak has been observed in the mid-infrared region of s(w) for all the compounds, and has been analyzed in terms of a simple model based on conduction (c)-f electron hybridized band. A universal scaling is found between the observed peak energies and the estimated c-f hybridization strengths of these HF compounds. This scaling demonstrates that the model of c-f hybridized band can generally and quantitatively describe the charge excitation spectra of a wide range of HF compounds.