Quasiparticle relaxation dynamics in heavy fermion compounds.
We present the first femtosecond studies of electron-phonon (e-ph) thermalization in heavy-fermion compounds. The e-ph thermalization time tau(ep) increases below the Kondo temperature by more than 2 orders of magnitude as T=0 K is approached. Analysis using the two-temperature model and numerical simulations based on Boltzmann's equations suggest that this anomalous slowing down of the e-ph thermalization derives from the large electronic specific heat and the suppression of scattering between heavy electrons and phonons.
Demsar
J
J
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mail Stop K764, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Averitt
R D
RD
Ahn
K H
KH
Graf
M J
MJ
Trugman
S A
SA
Kabanov
V V
VV
Sarrao
J L
JL
Taylor
A J
AJ