- Attila Bartha: Single crystal study of CePd2Ga3 and CePd2Zn3
- 24. 5. 2017, 14:30
- lecture room F2, first floor Ke Karlovu 5
- more information
Abstract:
Cerium and uranium compounds (Yb to lesser extent) are extensively investigated close to a quantum critical point (QCP) where physical phenomena are mainly driven by quantum fluctuations and characteristically a non-Fermi liquid behavior is evoked. Additional excitement was induced by the discovery of superconductivity (SC) at rather low temperatures close to the QCP. The case of uranium based HF superconductors UNi2Al3 [1] and UPd2Al3 [2]encouraged a vast amount of work being put into the discovery of homologous compounds based on cerium.
We report the single crystal properties of CePd2Ga3and CePd2Zn3compounds. The compounds were prepared by high-frequency Bridgman method. Both compounds adopt the hexagonal PrNi2Al3-type structure. CePd2Zn3orders antiferromagnetically below TN= 1.9 K and external magnetic field B = 1 T. Magnetoresistance measurements revealed a metamagnetic transition at Bc= 0.95 T. CePd2Ga3orders ferromagnetically at TC= 6.7 K. Applied hydrostatic pressure reduces the value of the Curie-temperature (rate dTC/dp = 0.9 K·GPa−1) down to 3.9 K at 3.2 GPa. Both compounds display a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy with easy axis of magnetization perpendicular to the c-axis in the hexagonal lattice.
[1] C. Geibel et al. Z. Phys. B - Condensed Matter 83 (1991) 305
[2] C. Geibel et al., Z. Phys. B - Condensed Matter 84 (1991) 1