X-ray atomic orbital analysis of 4f and 5d electron configuration of SmB6 at 100, 165, 230 and 298 K

Accurate electron-density measurement of SmB6 at 100, 165, 230 and 298 K, and X-ray atomic orbital (XAO) analysis were carried out. The 4f-electron density around Sm and 5d electron density at similar to 1 angstrom from Sm were analysed by XAO analysis. The 5d electron density is due to the electrons of the 5d(J = 5/2)Gamma(8) orbitals which stem from the e(g) orbitals in the strong field approximation. The change in electron populations of the 5d(5/2)Gamma(8) orbitals with temperature is similar to that of the resistivity. Since the conduction band consists of 5d(5/2)Gamma(8) and B-2p orbitals according to band theory, this indicates that the larger populations of the 5d(5/2)Gamma(8) orbitals correspond to the larger number of localized electrons and are correlated to the resistivity of SmB6. The occupation of the bulky 5d(5/2)Gamma(8) orbitals may be the reason for the elongation of the lattice parameter below 150 K. The 4f(7/2)Gamma(6) orbitals are obviously occupied except at 100 K, which seems to be caused by the energy gap between 4f(5/2) and 4f(7/2) states, which begins to exist between 100 and 150 K, and may represent one of the properties of a Kondo insulator.