Crystal growth, structure, and physical properties of Ln(Ag, Al, Si) 2 (Ln = Ce and Gd)
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-27-2010
Abstract
Single crystals of CeM2 and GdM2 (M = Ag, Al, and Si) were grown by the flux growth technique and characterized by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, resistivity, and heat capacity measurements. CeM2 and GdM2 crystallize in the tetragonal I41/amd space group with the α-ThSi2 structure type with lattice parameters a ∼ 4.2 Å and c ∼ 14.4 Å. Curie-Weiss behavior is observed for both analogues with CeM 2 ordering first ferromagnetically at 11 K with a second antiferromagnetic transition at 8.8 K while GdM2 orders antiferromagnetically at 24 K. Heat capacity measurements on CeM2 show two magnetic transitions at 10.8 and 8.8 K with an electronic specific heat coefficient, γ0, of ∼53 mJ K-2 mol-1. The entropy at the magnetic transition is less than the expected R ln 2 for CeM2, reinforcing the assertions of an enhanced mass state and Kondo behavior being observed in the resistivity. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
Recommended Citation
Drake, B., Kangas, M., Capan, C., Haldolaarachchige, N., Xiong, Y., Adams, P., Young, D., & Chan, J. (2010). Crystal growth, structure, and physical properties of Ln(Ag, Al, Si) 2 (Ln = Ce and Gd). Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, 22 (42) https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/22/42/426002