Vibrational spectra of the YbB12 Kondo insulator

Abstract

The density of phonon states for the YbB12 Kondo insulator is calculated from the inelastic neutron scattering spectra of this compound. It is established that thermal vibrations of rare-earth atoms predominantly occur in the low-energy range. These atoms are most weakly bound in the crystal structure of the YbB12 Kondo insulator. The high-energy part of the vibrational spectrum is determined by thermal vibrations of the boron atoms forming a rigidly connected structure of the compound. It is revealed that the temperature dependence of the intensity of the phonon peak attributed to thermal vibrations of the ytterbium atoms exhibits an anomalous behavior. This circumstance suggests that the magnetoelastic coupling occurring in the structure of the YbB12 Kondo insulator is relatively strong and can contribute to the magnetic excitation spectrum of this compound.