Mechanism for the Non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior inCeCu6−xAux

We propose an explanation for the recently observed non-Fermi-liquid behavior of metallic alloys ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{6-x}{\mathrm{Au}}_x$: Near $x=0.1\mathrm{}$, the specific heat $C$ is proportional to $T\ln \left(T_0/T\right)$, and the resistivity increases linearly with temperature $T$ over a wide range of $T$. These features follow from a model in which three-dimensional conduction electrons are coupled to two-dimensional critical ferromagnetic fluctuations near the quantum critical point $x_c=0.1\mathrm{}$. This picture is motivated by the neutron scattering data in the ordered phase ( $x=0.2\mathrm{}$) and is consistent with the observed phase diagram.