This thesis explores thermal transport in selected rare-earth-based intermetallic compounds to answer questions of great current interest. It also sheds light on the interplay of Kondo physics and Fermi surface changes. By performing thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity measurements at temperatures as low as 25mK, the author demonstrates that the Wiedemann–Franz law, a cornerstone of metal physics, is violated at precisely the magnetic-field-induced quantum critical point of the heavy-fermion metal YbRh2Si2. This first-ever observation of a violation has dramatic consequences, as it implies a breakdown of the quasiparticle picture. Utilizing an innovative technique to measure low-temperature thermal transport isothermally as a function of the magnetic field, the thesis interprets specific, partly newly discovered, high-field transitions in CeRu2Si2 and YbRh2Si2 as Lifshitz transitions related to a change in the Fermi surface. Lastly, by applying this new technique to thermal conductivity measurements of the skutterudite superconductor LaPt4Ge12, the thesis proves that the system is a conventional superconductor with a single energy gap. Thus, it refutes the widespread speculations about unconventional Cooper pairing in this material.

Rare-earth borides have attracted continuous interest for more than half a century both from the point of view of fundamental condensed matter physics and for practical applications in various fields of engineering. They demonstrate a wealth of unusual electronic and magnetic properties that have been closely investigated in recent decades using advanced spectroscopies and state-of-the-art physical characterization methods. Authored by leading experts in the field, this book features a comprehensive collection of reviews offering a cutting-edge summary of the research on rare-earth borides from various viewpoints. It includes chapters on the growth and characterization of single-crystal and thin-film samples, detailed description of their lattice structure and dynamics, electronic and magnetic properties in the bulk and at the surface, low-temperature ordering phenomena, and theoretical and experimental description of the unusual spectroscopic properties from the perspective of modern x-ray and neutron scattering, Raman spectroscopy, and electron spin resonance. The book will appeal to anyone interested in the physics and chemistry of solids and low-temperature physics, especially to researchers and postgraduate students who study magnetic and electronic properties of rare-earth compounds.

A key source to journal and conference abbreviations in the sciences. Although it focuses on chemistry, other scientific and engineering disciplines are also well represented. In addition to the abbreviation and full title, each entry also contains publishing info, title changes, language and frequency of publication, and libraries owning that title. Over 130,000 entries representing more than 70,000 publications dating back to 1907 are included.