Relevance of ferromagnetic correlations for the Electron Spin Resonance in Kondo lattice systems

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) measurements of the ferromagnetic Kondo lattice system CeRuPO show a well defined ESR signal which is related to the magnetic properties of the Ce3+ moment. In contrast, no ESR signal could be observed in the antiferromagnetic homologue CeOsPO. Additionally, we detect an ESR signal in a further ferromagnetic Yb compound, YbRh, while it was absent in a number of Ce or Yb intermetallic compounds with dominant antiferromagnetic exchange, independently of the presence of a strong Kondo interaction or the proximity to a (quantum) critical point. Thus, the observation of an ESR signal in a Kondo lattice is neither specific to Yb nor to the proximity of a quantum critical point, but seems to be connected to the presence of ferromagnetic fluctuations. These conclusions not only provide a basic concept to understand the ESR in Kondo lattice systems even well below the Kondo temperature as observed in the heavy fermion metal YbRh2Si2 but point out ESR as a prime method to investigate directly the spin dynamics of the Kondo ion.