Phenomenological theory of a scalar electronic order: Application to skutterudite PrFe₄P₁₂

By phenomenological Landau analysis, it is shown that a scalar order parameter with the point-group symmetry Γ_1g explains most properties associated with the phase transition in PrFe₄P ₁₂ at 6.5 K. The scalar-order model reproduces magnetic and elastic properties in PrFe₄P₁₂ consistently such as (i) the anomaly of the magnetic susceptibility and elastic constant at the transition temperature, (ii) anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility in the presence of uniaxial pressure, and (iii) the anomaly in the elastic constant in magnetic field. An Ehrenfest relation is derived which relates the anomaly of the magnetic susceptibility to that of the elastic constant at the transition.