CePdSb: a possible ferromagnetic Kondo-lattice system

Abstract

Magnetic-susceptibility and electrical-resistivity measurements on CePdSb and GdPdSb have been carried out in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K. The measurements reveal that CePdSb orders ferromagnetically with an ordering temperature (T_M) of 17 K while GdPdSb orders antiferromagnetically with a Neel temperature (T_N) of 15.5 K. In the paramagnetic state, the susceptibility of CePdSb follows Curie-Weiss behavior between 50 and 300 K but deviates from it below 50 K. Its saturation magnetic moment per formula unit at 4.2 K is 1.2 μ_B, which is reduced from the free-ion value of 2.14μ_B for the Ce³⁺ ion. The resistivity of CePdSb shows a broad maximum at about 150 K and a ln(T) behavior at high temperatures, indicating the combined influence of crystalline electric fields and Kondo effect on the 4f moments. Thus CePdSb appears to be a Kondo-lattice system with ferromagnetic ordering of the cerium moments.