Chapter 11 Crystal Growth and Stoichiometry of Strongly Correlated Intermetallic Cerium Compounds

Abstract

Strongly correlated electron systems are among the most active research topics in modern condensed matter physics. In strongly correlated materials the electron interaction energies

dominate the electron kinetic energy which leads to unconventional properties. Heavy

fermion compounds form one of the classes of such materials. In heavy fermion compounds

the interaction of itinerant electrons with local magnetic moments generates quasiparticles

with masses up to several 1000 electron masses. This may be accompanied by exciting

properties, such as unconventional superconductivity in a magnetic environment, non-Fermi

liquid behavior and quantum criticality. Strong electronic correlations are responsible for

physical phenomena on a low energy scale. Consequently, these phenomena have to be

studied at low temperatures. This, in turn, requires ultimate quality of single crystals to

avoid that the low temperature intrinsic properties are covered by extrinsic effects due to

off-stoichiometry, impurities or other crystal imperfections.