Abstract
Single crystals of PrTa2Al20 have been investigated by means of single-crystal structural analysis and measurements of magnetization, specific heat, and electrical resistivity. The crystalline-electric-field level scheme of the Pr ions has a nonmagnetic Γ3 doublet ground state and a Γ5 magnetic excited state with an energy separation of 53 K. The 4f-electron contribution to the electrical resistivity shows −log T magnetic Kondo scattering above 50 K and a downward curvature characteristic of a quadrupolar Kondo lattice formation below 20 K. A phase transition appears at 0.65 K in zero field and shifts to higher temperatures in applied fields, indicating that this transition is antiferroquadrupolar (AFQ) in nature. The largely enhanced Sommerfeld coefficient ∼1.5 J/(mol K2) in the AFQ state may indicate the formation of heavy quasiparticles. The hierarchically arranged sequence of the magnetic Kondo regime, quadrupolar Kondo lattice regime, and AFQ ordered state in the wide temperature range 0.2–300 K demo...
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