Temperature-dependent formation of local magnetic moments of Ce in antiferromagnetic RAg (R = Gd, Tb, and Dy) intermetallics: The role of intermediate valence via functional integral approach

Motivated by the role of Ce intermediate valence in shaping magnetic properties of metallic systems, we present a theoretical study on local moment formation at Ce impurities diluted in antiferromagnetic GdAg, TbAg, and DyAg. We investigate finite-temperature conditions using a model that combines the functional-integral formalism with the coherent-potential approximation. This approach enables us to analyze temperature-dependent electronic structure. We track the charge transfer from the Ce 4f resonance to the 5d conduction band over temperatures from absolute zero up to the Néel temperatures. Our self-consistent calculations show that the intermediate valence model captures both local magnetic moments and magnetic hyperfine fields. The predicted temperature dependence of the hyperfine fields matches available experimental data, supporting our theoretical framework.