Magnetic and Thermodynamic Properties of Ce4RuAl

J.C. Debnatha, A.M. Strydom a, B.M. Sondezi a, F. Tappe b and R. Pöttgen b aHighly Correlated Matter Research Group, Physics Department, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa bInstitut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Universität Münster, Germany

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The results of magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements are reported for the Ce4RuAl compound above room temperature to low temperature range (400 K to 0.34 K) and in the magnetic field up to 7 T. The magnetic susceptibility χ(T) exhibits a distinct anomaly at 0.95 K which most probably suggests a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase transition. The magnetic susceptibility obeys the Curie-Weiss law in the region 100-400 K and revealed an effective magnetic moment μeff=2.18 μB/Ce which is less than the value for free Ce3+ (μeff=2.54 μB). The paramagnetic Weiss temperature indicates net antiferromagnetic correlations. In the specific heat a peak at 1.3 K supports the bulk nature of the phase transition observed in χ(T). The Sommerfield coefficient is moderately enhanced in the paramagnetic phase, and suggests f-c correlations among the electrons prior to magnetic ordering. The obtained Sommerfield coefficient γ behavior is consistent with the Anderson model-based theoretical predictions.

DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.127.237 PACS numbers: 75.30.Cr, 75.30.Kz, 75.30.Mb