Collective infrared excitation in rare-earth Gd$_x$La$_{1-x}$B$_6$ hexaborides

Abstract

Using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and optical ellipsometry, room temperature spectra of complex conductivity of single crystals of hexaborides Gd$_x$La$_{1-x}$B$_6$, $x$(Gd)$=0$, 0.01, 0.1, 0.78, 1 are determined in the frequency range 30$-$35000$~cm^{-1}$. In all compounds, in addition to the Drude free-carrier spectral component, a broad excitation is discovered with the unusually large dielectric contribution $\Delta$$\varepsilon$=5000 -- 15000 and non-Lorentzian lineshape. It is suggested that the origin of the excitation is connected with the dynamic cooperative Jahn-Teller effect of B$_6$ clusters. Analysis of the spectra together with the results of DC and Hall resistivity measurements shows that only 30$-$50$\%$ of the conduction band electrons are contributing to the free carrier conductivity with the rest being involved in the formation of an overdamped excitation, thus providing possible explanation of remarkably low work function of thermoemission of Gd$_x$La$_{1-x}$B$_6$ and non-Fermi-liquid behavior in GdB$_6$ crystals.