Kondo effect and thermoelectric transport in CePd₃Be_x

The physical properties of the series CePd3Bex (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.47) have been studied. Introducing Be into CePd3 results in a drastic reduction of the Seebeck coefficient from 100 μV K−1 at 300 K to -2 μV K−1, respectively. Paramagnetism of Ce3+ free ions and metallic conduction dominate the physical properties. A structural transition at x = 0.25 is accompanied by a significant lowering of the Kondo temperature and leads to a successive suppression of the thermoelectric performance of CePd3Bex with increasing x.