Physical properties and field-induced metamagnetic transitions in UAu0.8Sb2

Wen Zhang; Chunyu Guo; Donghua Xie; Michael Smidman; Bingfeng Hu; Yuanhua Xia; Yi Liu; Shiyong Tan; Wei Feng; Xiegang Zhu; Yun Zhang; Qunqing Hao; Lizhu Luo; Huiqiu Yuan; Xinchun Lai

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26314-7

Physical properties and field-induced metamagnetic transitions in UAu_0.8Sb₂

Sci Rep. 2018 May 18;8(1):7835. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26314-7.

Authors

Wen Zhang¹, Chunyu Guo², Donghua Xie¹, Michael Smidman³, Bingfeng Hu⁴, Yuanhua Xia⁴, Yi Liu¹, Shiyong Tan¹, Wei Feng¹, Xiegang Zhu¹, Yun Zhang¹, Qunqing Hao¹, Lizhu Luo¹, Huiqiu Yuan², Xinchun Lai⁵

Affiliations

¹ Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, Mianyang, 621908, China.
² Center for Correlated Matter and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
³ Center for Correlated Matter and Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. [email protected].
⁴ Key laboratory of neutron physics, Institute of nuclear physics and chemistry, China academy of engineering physics, Mianyang, 621999, China.
⁵ Science and Technology on Surface Physics and Chemistry Laboratory, Mianyang, 621908, China. [email protected].

Abstract

We have successfully synthesized single crystals of UAu_0.8Sb₂ using a flux method and present a comprehensive study of its physical properties by measuring the magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and specific heat. Evidence for at least three magnetic phases is observed in the field-temperature phase diagram of UAu_0.8Sb₂. In zero field, the system undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at 71 K, and upon further cooling it passes through another antiferromagnetic phase with a ferromagnetic component, before reaching a ferromagnetic ground state. A complex magnetic field-temperature phase diagram is obtained for fields along the easy c-axis, where the antiferromagnetic order eventually becomes polarized upon applying a magnetic field.