Anisotropic properties of rare earth silver dibismites

Abstract

We report measurements of structural, magnetic, thermal and transport properties of the newly synthesized rare earth silver dibismite series RAgBi 2 (R=La–Nd, Sm, Gd), grown via self-flux method. All of the compounds are metals, and those with magnetic ions exhibit long-range magnetic order at low temperatures, with the exception of PrAgBi 2. For the lightest rare earths the samples are of extremely high quality. For LaAgBi 2 de Haas van Alphen oscillations are found in remarkably small fields and high temperatures. The magnetic ground states for compounds that order magnetically appear to be antiferromagnetic, but with less local moment anisotropy than that seen in RBi 2. Anisotropic metamagnetism is observed for CeAgBi 2; however, no large magnetoresistance was observed in any of RAgBi 2, as opposed to either the RAgSb 2 or RSb 2 series. Magnetic ordering temperatures scale poorly with de Gennes scaling.