The Ground State of PrFe4P12Probed by Thermal and Thermoelectric Transport

Among the Pr-filled Skutterudites, PrFe 4 P 12 is distinguished by the presence of an unidentified phase transition at T A = 6.5 K. Here we report on a study of the effect of this phase transition on thermal and thermoelectric transport. The lattice thermal conductivity drastically increases with the ordering, as a consequence of a large drop in carrier concentration and a strong electron–phonon coupling. The low level of carrier density in the ordered state is confirmed by the anomalously large values of the Seebeck and Nernst coefficients. Our results document a radical reconstruction of the Fermi surface, which leads to the emergence of a heavy-electron semi-metal below T A .

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