Magnetic-susceptibility and electrical-resistivity measurements on RPdSn (R=Ce-Yb) compounds

Abstract

Magnetic-susceptibility and electrical-resistivity measurements have been carried out on equiatomic ternary compounds, RPdSn (R=Ce-Yb), in the temperature range 4.2 and 300 K. The compounds EuPdSn and YbPdSn have been synthesized. As-cast RPdSn (R=Ce-Yb) compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure. However, on annealing at 950 °C, Er- and Tm-containing compounds transform to hexagonal Fe₂P-type structure. Magnetic-susceptibility measurements reveal that the compounds with R=Ce, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Er order antiferromagnetically with Neel temperatures (T_N) of 7.5, 11, 13, 14.5, 23.5, 11.4, and 5.6 K, respectively. The compounds with R=Pr, Nd, Ho, and Tm are paramagnetic down to 4.2 K. Susceptibility of YbPdSn shows Curie-Weiss behavior between 300-150 K with μ_eff=1.45μ_B and deviates considerably from it below 150 K. The electrical resistivity of all these compounds exhibits metallic behavior and shows a sharp drop at the respective Neel temperatures. The T_N of the RPdSn series does not follow de Gennes scaling and, instead, peaks at Tb. This behavior of T_N can be understood on the basis of crystalline-electric-field effects.