Exploration of strongly correlated states in SmB6 through a comparison of its two-coil pick-up response to that of Bi2Se3

Abstract

Earlier studies on the Kondo insulator SmB6 reveal the presence of a bulk Kondo insulating gap between 30 - 50 K, and the emergence of a conducting surface state only below 4 K. Here, we compare the two-coil mutual inductance pick-up response of SmB6 single crystal with that of a conventional topological insulator (TI), Bi2Se3 single crystal. From these studies we identify three distinct temperature regimes for SmB6, viz., (i) T >= T*(~ 66 K), (ii) (40 K~) T_g <= T < T*, and (iii) T < T_g. At T* in SmB6, we observe a peak in the temperature-dependent AC pickup signal which corresponds to the peak in the broad hump feature in the bulk DC susceptibility measurements and features in the resistivity measurements. A dip in the pickup signal at T_g in SmB6 correlates with the evidence for the opening of a bulk Kondo gap in transport measurements. Our study of the pickup signal in SmB6 suggests the presence of a thin (submicron order thickness) high conducting surface layer from a temperature just below T_g. In this T regime in SmB6, the pickup signal shows a distinct square root frequency (f) dependence compared to the linear f dependence found in Bi2Se3. Across all the different T regimes, distinct AC frequency dependence and scaling properties are observed. Our results suggest that above T*, weak exchange interactions cause electrons to scatter from random ion sites. Electronic correlations gradually strengthen with the onset of Kondo like hybridization, setting in from below T*, and at T_g, a strongly correlated Kondo gap opens up in the bulk of the material. The appearance of the thin high conducting surface layer is nearly coincident with the onset of bulk Kondo insulating state below T_g in SmB6.