Renormalization group theory for Kondo breakdown in Kondo lattice systems

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We present a renormalization group (RG) theory for the breakdown of Kondo screening in the Kondo lattice model (KLM) without pre-assumptions about the competition between Kondo effect and magnetic ordering or Fermi surface criticality. We show that the vertex between a single, local Kondo spin and the extended conduction electrons obtains RKKY- induced, non-local contributions in the in-and out-going coordinates of scattering electrons due to scattering at surrounding Kondo sites, but it remains local in the Kondo spin position. This enables the existence of a local Kondo screening scale TK(y) in the KLM, controlled by the effective RKKY coupling parameter y. TK(y) is determined by the RG flow of the local spin exchange coupling in the presence of the self-consistent spin response on surrounding Kondo sites. We show that TK(y) exhibits universal behavior and is suppressed by the antiferromagnetic RKKY coupling. Beyond a maximal RKKY parameter value ymax Kondo screening ceases to exist even without magnetic ordering. The theory opens up the possibility of describing quantum critical scenarios involving spin wave instabilities or local Kondo breakdown on the same footing.