Thermal conductivity of EuB6

The thermal conductivity lambda of EuB6 has been measured in the temperature range between 0.4 and 50 K. In this temperature regime the thermal conductivity is mainly due to phonons. A broad maximum with a relatively large absolute value of about 50 W/Km is observed at 17 K. Below this temperature the thermal conductivity follows a T-2 behavior, which may be attributed to phonon-electron scattering. At temperatures above 17 K a surprisingly weak T dependence of lambda is observed which we relate to the peculiar phonon dispersion relation of divalent hexaborides.