Disorder to order transition in the magnetic and electronic properties

Abstract

We present a study of annealing effects on the physical properties of tetragonal single-crystalline (Formula presented) This system, which in its as-grown form was recently established as the first metallic three-dimensional random-bond heavy-fermion spin glass, is transformed by an annealing treatment into a long-range antiferromagnetically ordered heavy-fermion compound. The transport properties, which in the as-grown material were dominated by the structural disorder, exhibit in the annealed material signs of typical metallic behavior along the crystallographic a axis. From our study (Formula presented) emerges as exemplary material highlighting the role and relevance of structural disorder for the properties of strongly correlated electron systems. We discuss the link between the magnetic and electronic behavior and how they are affected by the structural disorder. © 2000 The American Physical Society.