An electron spin resonance (ESR) study of the heavy fermion compound YbRh2Si2 for fields up to ∼ 8 T reveals a strongly anisotropic signal below the single ion Kondo temperature TK ∼ 25 K. A remarkable similarity between the T -dependence of the ESR parameters and that of the specific heat and the 29 Si nuclear magnetic resonance data gives evidence that the ESR response is given by heavy fermions which are formed below TK and that ESR properties are determined by their field dependent mass and lifetime. The signal anisotropy, otherwise typical for Yb 3+ ions, suggests that, owing to a strong hybridization with conduction electrons at T < TK, the magnetic anisotropy of the 4f states is absorbed in the ESR of heavy quasiparticles. Tuning the Kondo effect on the 4f states with magnetic fields ∼ 2 − 8 T and temperature 2 − 25 K yields a gradual change of the ESR g-factor and linewidth which reflects the evolution of the Kondo state in this Kondo lattice system. PACS numbers: 71.27.+a, 75.20.Hr, Strong electron-electron (EE) interactions in metals yield a fascinating variety of novel and often interrelated quantum phenomena, such as quantum phase transitions, breakdown of the Landau Fermi-liquid (LFL) state, unconventional superconductivity, etc. (for an overview see, e.g., [1]). In intermetallic compounds where 4f (5f ) magnetic ions (e.g. Yb, Ce, U etc.) build up a regular Kondo lattice, strong EE correlations are established by the coupling of local f -magnetic moments with the conduction electrons (CE). As a consequence, a large effective mass enhancement of the quasiparticles (QP) hallmarks the properties of paramagnetic heavy fermion metals. A competing interaction, the so-called RKKY-interaction between the local f -states via the sea of CE, favors a magnetically ordered ground state.An important realization of a system where the delicate balance between Kondo and RKKY interactions can be investigated is the intermetallic compound YbRh 2 Si 2 where antiferromagnetic order, quantum criticality, heavy fermion-and non-LFL (NFL) behavior can be tuned by a magnetic field B and temperature T [2,3,4,5,6] (Fig. 1). In the parameter domain where these remarkable electronic crossovers take place a strong hybridization of 4f electrons with CE significantly broadens the otherwise atomically sharp f -states. That is why the observation of a narrow electron spin resonance (ESR) signal in the Kondo state of YbRh 2 Si 2 was very surprising [7]. While the reported pronounced anisotropy of the signal is indeed in accordance with an ESR of localized Yb 3+ 4f moments, a non-local picture is suggested by the observation of this signal down to the lowest accessible temperatures of 0.69 K [8] where the single ion Kondo effect is expected to screen the magnetic moments. On the other hand the conduction electron ESR seems also unlikely because in this compound comprising heavy metal elements the spin-orbit (SO) coupling drastically shortens the electron spin lifetime [9].To unravel a controversial nature of this resonance response w...
