ESR study of spin dynamics in the ternary phosphide YbRh 6P 4

Abstract

We have used electron spin resonance (ESR) to investigate the YbRh 6P 4 powder samples. It is shown that the exotic ESR absorption is caused here by hybridization effects between the Yb 4 f-orbitals and the wave functions of the conduction electrons (CE) of the outer electronic shells. A broadening and disappearance of the ESR line at temperatures above 10 K can be explained by the processes of the spin-lattice relaxation of the Yb 3+ ions through the first excited Stark sublevel with an activation energy Δ ≈82.1 K.