Single crystal growth of CeTAl${}_3$ (T = Cu, Ag, Au, Pd and Pt)

Abstract

We report single crystal growth of the series of CeTAl${}_3$ compounds with T = Cu, Ag, Au, Pd and Pt by means of optical float zoning. High crystalline quality was confirmed in a thorough characterization process. With the exception of CeAgAl${}_3$, all compounds crystallize in the non-centrosymmetric tetragonal BaNiSn${}_3$ structure (space group: I4mm, No. 107), whereas CeAgAl${}_3$ adopts the related orthorhombic PbSbO${}_2$Cl structure (Cmcm, No. 63). An attempt to grow CeNiAl${}_3$ resulted in the composition CeNi${}_2$Al${}_5$. Low temperature resistivity measurements down to $\sim$0.1K did not reveal evidence suggestive of magnetic order in CePtAl${}_3$ and CePdAl${}_3$. In contrast, CeAuAl${}_3$, CeCuAl${}_3$ and CeAgAl${}_3$ display signatures of magnetic transitions at 1.3K, 2.1K and 3.2K, respectively. This is consistent with previous reports of antiferromagnetic order in CeAuAl${}_3$, and CeCuAl${}_3$ as well as ferromagnetism in CeAgAl${}_3$, respectively.

12 pages, 6 figures