Thermoelectric Power in Ce Systems with Unstable Valence

In this paper, we report on a few exemplary tests of the applicability of analysis based on the interconfiguration fluctuation model (ICF) for a description of the temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power, S(T). The examples include a series of alloys: CeNi2(Si1−yGey)2, Ce(Ni1−xCux)2Si2, and the fluctuating valence (FV) compound CeNi4Ga. The two series develop from CeNi2Si2 being the FV system, where the f states occupation increases progressively with the Ge or Cu substitution. We find here that the ICF model parameters are of similar magnitude both for the analysis of the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility and thermoelectric power. The ICF-type model appears to be a powerful tool for the analysis of S(T) dependences in Ce-based FV compounds and alloys.