The Tricritical Point of the f-electron Antiferromagnet USb2 Driven by High Magnetic Fields

Abstract

In pulsed magnetic fields up to 65T and at temperatures below the Néel transition, our magnetization and magnetostriction measurements reveal a field-induced metamagnetic-like transition that is suggestive of an antiferromagnetic to polarized paramagnetic or ferrimagnetic ordering. Our data also suggests a change in the nature of this metamagnetic-like transition from second- to first-order-like near a tricritical point at T_{tc} ~145K and H_{c}~52T. At high fields for H>H_{c} we found a decreased magnetic moment roughly half of the moment reported in low field measurements. We propose that \mathit{f-p} hybridization effects and magnetoelastic interactions drive the decreased moment, lack of saturation at high fields, and the decreased phase boundary.

19 pages, 10 figures