Long-range magnetic order in the anisotropic triangular lattice system CeCd3As3

Abstract

We report the physical properties of $R$Cd${}_3$As${}_3$ ($R$ = La and Ce) compounds, crystallized into a hexagonal ScAl${}_3$C${}_3$-type structure ($P$6${}_3$/mmc) such that the $R$ sublattice forms a spin-orbit coupled triangular lattice. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the 4$f$ electrons of Ce${}^{3+}$ ions are well localized and reveal a large magnetic anisotropy. The electrical resistivity and specific heat measurement for $R$Cd${}_3$As${}_3$ exhibit an anomaly at high temperatures ($T_0$ $\sim$ 63 K for $R$ = La and $T_0$ $\sim$ 136 K for $R$ = Ce), most likely due to a structural transition. Specific heat measurements for CeCd${}_3$As${}_3$ clearly indicate a long range magnetic order below $T_N$ = 0.42 K. Although the magnetic contribution to the specific heat $C_m/T$ increases significantly below $\sim$ 10 K, the electrical resistivity for CeCd${}_3$As${}_3$ follows typical, metallic behavior inconsistent with Kondo lattice systems. In CeCd${}_3$As${}_3$ only $\sim$ 40 $\%$ of the $R\ln (2)$ magnetic entropy is recovered by $T_N$ and the $R$ln(2) entropy is fully achieved at about the Curie-Weiss temperature $|{\theta }_p|$. Unusually, based on our current investigations, the magnetic specific heat below $|{\theta }_p|$ is not attributed to a Kondo contribution, but rather associated with the magnetic ordering and frustration on the triangular lattice. Specific heat measurements in applied magnetic field show a negligible variation of $T_N$ for $H\parallel c$, whereas a suppression of $T_N$ is observed above 40 kOe for $H\parallel ab$. Such behavior is consistent with the application a magnetic field within the $ab$-plane breaking the triangular symmetry and partially relieving the magnetic frustration in this system.

9 pages, 11 figures

References in corpus (9)

• Fermi-liquid instabilities at magnetic quantum phase transitions
• Quantum Criticality in Heavy Fermion Metals
• Continuous excitations of the triangular-lattice quantum spin liquid YbMgGaO4
• Frustration and the Kondo effect in heavy fermion materials
• Absence of magnetic thermal conductivity in the quantum spin liquid candidate YbMgGaO4
• Frustrated two dimensional quantum magnets
• Magnetic field tuned quantum criticality of heavy fermion system YbPtBi
• The two-dimensional metallic triangular lattice antiferromagnet CeCd3P3
• Quantum fluctuations in anisotropic triangular lattices with ferro- and antiferromagnetic exchange

Cited by in corpus (6)

• The influence of crystalline electric field on the magnetic properties of CeCd3X3 (X = P and As)
• Interleaved bond frustration in a triangular lattice antiferromagnet
• Interplay of magnetic ordering and charge transport in a distorted ScAl${}_3$C${}_3$-type GdZn${}_3$As${}_3$
• Interplay of short-range bond order and A-type antiferromagnetic order in metallic triangular lattice GdZn${}_3$P${}_3$
• Easy-plane ferromagnetic ordering and crystal-field ground state in the Kondo lattice CeCuSi
• Antiferromagnetism of CeCd${}_{0.67}$As${}_2$ existing deep inside the narrow gap semiconducting state