Specific-heat study of the Ce(1 - x)Y(x)PdAl system

J Phys Condens Matter. 2010 Mar 31;22(12):126002. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/22/12/126002. Epub 2010 Mar 8.

Abstract

We report on specific-heat measurements of the heavy-fermion compounds Ce(1 - x)Y(x)PdAl (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) between 0.35 and 300 K and in magnetic fields up to 14 T. Ce(1 - x)Y(x)PdAl compounds crystallize in the hexagonal ZrNiAl-type structure and CePdAl orders antiferromagnetically below T(N) = 2.8 K. The specific heat measured in external magnetic fields is also consistent with the antiferromagnetic order and the phase transition to the ferromagnetic state in fields around 4 T. The temperature dependence of the magnetic specific heat in CePdAl indicates magnetic correlations far above T(N). Substitution of nonmagnetic Y for magnetic Ce ions reduces T(N) rapidly and the antiferromagnetic order vanishes around x = 0.2. The Sommerfeld coefficient γ of the electronic specific heat is temperature dependent and increases strongly at low temperatures for all Ce concentrations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't