Specific heat in high magnetic fields and magnetic phase diagram of CePt${}_2$In${}_7$

Abstract

We report specific heat measurements on a high quality single crystal of the heavy-fermion compound CePt${}_2$In${}_7$ in magnetic fields up to 27 T. The zero-field specific heat data above the Néel temperature, $T_N$, suggest a moderately enhanced value of the electronic specific heat coefficient $\gamma =180mJ/{\mathrm{K}}^2\mathrm{mol}$. For $T<T_N$, the data at zero applied magnetic field are consistent with the existence of an anisotropic spin-density wave opening a gap on almost entire Fermi surface, suggesting extreme two-dimensional electronic and magnetic structures for CePt${}_2$In${}_7$. $T_N$ is monotonically suppressed by magnetic field applied along the $c$-axis. When field is applied parallel to the $a$-axis, $T_N$ first increases at low field up to about 10 T and then decreases monotonically at higher field. Magnetic phase diagram based on specific heat measurements suggests that a field-induced quantum critical point is likely to occur slightly below 60 T for both principal orientations of the magnetic field.

5 pages, 4 figures