YbNiSi3: a new antiferromagnetic Kondo lattice with strong exchange interaction

Abstract

We report on the structural, thermodynamic and transport properties of high-quality single crystals of YbNiSi3 grown by the flux method. This compound crystallizes in the SmNiGe3 layered structure type of the Cmmm space group. The general physical behavior is that of a Kondo lattice showing an antiferromagnetic ground state below T_N = 5.1 K. This is among the highest ordering temperatures for a Yb-based intermetallic, indicating strong exchange interaction between the Yb ions, which are close to +3 valency based on the effective moment of 4.45 mu_B/f.u. The compound has moderately heavy-electron behavior with Sommerfeld coefficient 190 mJ/mol K^2. Resistivity is highly anisotropic and exhibits the signature logarithmic increase below a local minimum, followed by a sharp decrease in the coherent/magnetically ordered state, resulting in residual resistivity of 1.5 micro Ohm cm and RRR = 40. Fermi-liquid behavior consistent with a ground-state doublet is clearly observed below 1 K.

arXiv comment4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PRB

References in corpus (3)

• Deviation from the Kadowaki-Woods relation in Yb-based intermediate-valent systems
• Generalized Kadowaki-Woods Relation in Heavy Fermion Systems with Orbital Degeneracy
• Magnetic properites of the Heavy Fermion Antiferromagnets YbNiAl and YbPtAl

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