Spin fluctuations in the skutterudite compound LaFe4Sb12

We report transport, magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the skutterudite compound LaFe4Sb12. The basic features are a large magnetic susceptibility chi( T), and large electronic coefficient gamma of the heat capacity. In particular, a T-1.35, T-1.7, and T-2/3 temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility rho(T), resistivity.( T), and Gruneisen parameter Gamma(T), respectively, is found at low temperature. An overall understanding of these physical properties is achieved, assuming that LaFe4Sb12 is a non-Fermi liquid system close to a ferromagnetic quantum critical point, with a spin fluctuation temperature T-sf = 50 +/- 15 K.