Theoretical Model for the Semi-Metal Yb ₄ As ₃

Abstract

We present a model which can explain semiquantitatively a number of the unusual properties of \mbox{Yb$_4$As$_3$}. The structural phase transition at $T_{\text{c}}\simeq300\,\mbox{K}$ is described by a band Jahn-Teller effect of correlated electrons and is interpreted as a charge ordering of the Yb ions. The low carrier concentration in the low-temperature phase follows from the strong electron correlations of the 4f-holes on the Yb sites and can be viewed as self-doping of charge-ordered chains. The observed heavy-fermion behaviour is on a scale of $T^\ast\simeq50\,\mbox{K}$ and is due to spinon-like excitations in the Yb$^{3+}$-chains. The appearance of a second low-energy scale around 0.2\,K is due to the Fermi energy of the low-density carriers.