Spin-Orbit-Induced Kondo Size Effect in Thin Films with 5/2-spin Impurities

TL;DR

This paper extends the theoretical understanding of the size dependence of the Kondo effect in thin films with spin 5/2 impurities, showing a finite Kondo contribution as size decreases, aligning well with recent experimental findings.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical extension to the case of spin 5/2 impurities, revealing a finite Kondo effect at small sizes and its dependence on Kondo temperature, matching recent experimental results.

Findings

Kondo contribution remains finite as sample size approaches zero.

Thickness dependence of Kondo resistivity is weaker for larger Kondo temperatures.

Theoretical results agree with recent experimental data on Cu(Mn) films.

Abstract

Recently, for spin $S=5/2$ impurities quite different size dependence of the Kondo contribution to the resistivity was found experimentally than for S=2. Therefore previous calculation about the effect of the spin-orbit-induced magnetic anisotropy on the Kondo amplitude of the resistivity is extended to the case of $S=5/2$ impurity spin which differs from the integer spin case as the ground state is degenerated. In this case the Kondo contribution remains finite when the sample size goes to zero and the thickness dependence in the Kondo resistivity is much weaker for Cu(Mn). The behavior of the Kondo coefficient as a function of the thickness depends on the Kondo temperature, that is somewhat stronger for larger $T_K$. Comparing our results with a recent experiment in thin Cu(Mn) films, we find a good agreement.