Absence of bulk magnetic ordering in Pr₃Ru₄Ge₁₃

Abstract

It has been reported in the literature [1] that the cubic compound Pr₃Ru₄Ge₁₃ orders magnetically at 14.2 K. We have measured magnetic susceptibility (χ) and resistivity (ρ) from 2 to 300 K and the heat capacity (C_p) from 4 to 20 K of a sample of Pr₃Ru₄Ge₁₃. The χ data indicate Curie-Weiss behaviour only at high temperatures (T > 100 K) and 1/χ deviates from linearity at low temperatures. Although the χ, ρ and C_p data show an anomaly at 14 K, the very small magnitude of the heat capacity anomaly rules out bulk magnetic ordering in Pr₃Ru₄Ge₁₃. The effective paramagnetic moment (μ_eff) is 3.46 μ_B/Pr, and is close to that of free Pr³⁺ ion. The heat capacity data give an enhanced value of C_p/T (T → 0 K) of 100 mJ/Pr mol K², and the resistivity data show an unusual Kondo-like dependence at high temperature.