The thermoelectric power of Kondo cerium and ytterbium compounds

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power (TEP) of Kondo Ce and Yb compounds is theoretically studied by a new approach: for T⪢TK, we start from the Coqblin–Schrieffer Hamiltonian including the crystalline field effect and we use a renormalized perturbation expansion with the coupling constants calculated by the “poor man's scaling” method; for T⪡TK, we use an effective spin-12 periodic Anderson model. This treatment can give a negative peak at low temperatures and a positive one at high temperatures, in good agreement with the TEP curves of many Ce compounds.