On the anomalous thermal evolution of the low-temperature, normal-state specific heat of various nonmagnetic intermetallic compounds

Abstract

The low-temperature normal-state specific heat and resistivity curves of various nonmagnetic intermetallic compounds manifest an anomalous thermal evolution. Such an anomaly is exhibited as a break in the slope of the linearized C/T versus T 2 curve and as a drop in the R versus T curve, both at the same T βγ . It is related, not to a thermodynamic phase transition, but to a Kohn-type anomaly in the density of states curves of the phonon or electron subsystems. On representing these two anomalies as additional Dirac-type delta functions, situated respectively at kBθL and kBθE, an analytical expression for the total specific heat can be obtained. A least-square fit of this expression to experimental specific heat curves of various compounds reproduced satisfactorily all the features of the anomalous thermal evolution. The obtained fit parameters (in particular the Sommerfeld constant γ0 and Debye temperatures θD) compare favorably with the reported values. Furthermore, the analysis shows that (i) T βγ /θL = 0.2 1 ± 1/ √ 6 and (ii) γ0 ∝ θ −2 D ; both relations are in reasonable agreement with the experiments. Finally, our analysis (based on the above arguments) justifies the often-used analysis that treats the above anomaly in terms of either a thermal variation of θD or an additional Einstein mode.