630 Ch.

11 Mixed Valence and Heavy Fermions

we are contemplating here is invariant, too. Thus collecting all second-

order contributions of the kind (11.23), we must find the isotropic c-f
coupling

The coupling is fairly complicated if Vk is truly k-dependent. A more

transparent form is obtained if we adopt our usual simplifying assump-
tion V k = w (real), and furthermore assume that ~f (ef +
U j ) is suffi-
ciently low (high) lying to replace the energy denominators by constants,
because then the f-spin couples only to the local c-spin density29. The
customary simplest form of the effective Hamiltonian contains the c-
band kinetic energy, and the spin-spin interaction shown above

where a' is the vector of the Pauli matrices, and the Kondo coupling

is antiferromagnetic. (11.25) is the simplest version of the Kondo lattice

model3'.
Note that though both f' and f appear as intermediate states, they
need not play symmetrical roles. We may let U j -+ 00 to get an fo-fl
model, and still find a sizeable J . Similarly, we could place the f-level
at E J + -00, and insist that only f 1 + f 2 transitions give a finite
contribution. However, the symmetrical Kondo lattice model in which
ef + Uj/2 is exactly at the centre of a half-filled band, offers certain
simplifications3', and is therefore often postulated in the literature.
"Expanding I/(-€, + € k ) in powers of € k , and replacing € k = -2tcos k, we find
additional intersite C - f exchange terms [249].
30The celebrated Kondo impurity problem will be discussed in Sec. 11.3.1.
31Namely, there is no need for a self-consistent determination of p , which is a
difficult step in the theory of asymmetric Anderson and Kondo lattices.