Origin of infrared peaks in the optical conductivity of ytterbium compounds

Abstract

We have calculated optical conductivity [$\sigma(\omega)$] spectra of ytterbium compounds (YbAl$_3$, YbAl$_2$, YbCu$_2$Si$_2$, YbNi$_2$Ge$_2$, YbInCu$_4$, YbRh$_2$Si$_2$, YbIr$_2$Si$_2$, and YbB$_{12}$) based on the direct interband transition derived from first-principle band calculation and compared the results with the experimentally obtained $\sigma(\omega)$ spectra. The spectral feature of a peak in the middle-infrared region (mid-IR peak) and a shoulder structure in the far-infrared region (far-IR shoulder) in the experimental $\sigma(\omega)$ spectra can be described by the band calculation with a common renormalization factor. This result indicates that the infrared spectra of Yb compounds originate from the interband transition from the Yb $4f$ state but that the Yb $4f$ state shifts to the Fermi level with strong electron correlation.