On the nature of inhomogeneous weak localization of charge carriers in the heavy fermion compound CeB₆

Fine details of the electron density distribution in heavy-fermion metal CeB 6 have been studied for the first time by precision X-ray diffraction experiments in the temperature range of 30–500 K. At temperatures between 30 K and 80 K the formation of dynamic charge stripes along the <100> axes is observed in B 6 clusters, corresponding to gapless (weak) localization of charge carriers. Based on the achieved results we assume that the spin-polarized 5 d –2 p electronic states in the conduction band are partially localized within these charge stripes and between vibrationally coupled Ce–Ce pairs. Moreover, results of thermal conductivity, heat capacity, Seebeck coefficient and resistivity measurements indicate a significant role of the polaron-phonon scattering, which causes inhomogeneous weak localization of charge carriers in CeB 6 .