Thermodynamic properties of samarium hexaboride

The semiconductor samarium hexaboride has its thermodynamic properties well known for more than thirty years. However the explanation of them from a unified and coherent physical model has remained as a theoretical challenge. We determine by means of numerical calculation the temperature dependence of the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility at low temperature using the Falicov-Kimball model and considering also the contribution of the background of magnetic moments of the located spins 4f⁵. The very good agreement of our results with the experimental data enhances the relevance of the fermionic dynamics represented by the itinerant electron model as an important part of the properties of SmB₆.