(1) Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Dresden, Germany, DE;(2) Russian Federal Nuclear Center - VNNIEF, Sarov, Russia, RU;(3) Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Moscow, Russia, RU
Abstract:
We discuss the effects of an applied magnetic field on the low-energy excitations in the low temperature phase of Yb4As3. We show also why the magnetic interaction of the Yb3+ ions is nearly of an isotropic Heisenberg spin-1/2 type. A small anisotropy due to an intrachain dipolar interaction leads to the opening of a gap when a magnetic field is applied. The model agrees with available experimental data. Simple experiments are suggested in order to further test the present theory. Received 3 February 1999