Structural and magnetic properties of CeZnAl${}_3$ single crystals

Abstract

We have synthesized single crystals of CeZnAl${}_3$, which is a new member of the family of the Ce-based intermetallics Ce$T{X}_3$ ($T$ = transition metal, $X$= Si, Ge, Al), crystallizing in the non-centrosymmetric tetragonal BaNiSn${}_3$-type structure. Magnetization, specific heat and resistivity measurements all show that CeZnAl${}_3$ orders magnetically below around 4.4 K. Furthermore, magnetization measurements exhibit a hysteresis loop at low temperatures and fields, indicating the presence of a ferromagnetic component in the magnetic state. This points to a different nature of the magnetism in CeZnAl${}_3$ compared to the other isostructural Ce$T$Al${}_3$ compounds. Resistivity measurements under pressures up to 1.8 GPa show a moderate suppression of the ordering temperature with pressure, suggesting that measurements to higher pressures are required to look for quantum critical behavior.

6 pages, 5 figures