Quasiparticle relaxation dynamics in heavy fermion compounds
arXiv:cond-mat/0305597 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.027401
Abstract
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 two 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 suppresion of scattering between heavy electrons and phonons.
4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett