Abstract
SmB6 is a mixed valence topological Kondo insulator. To investigate the effect of substituting Sm with magnetic Ce ions on the physical properties of samarium hexaboride, Ce-substituted SmB6 crystals were grown by the floating zone method for the first time as large, good quality single crystal boules. The crystal growth conditions are reported. Structural, magnetic and transport properties of single crystals of Sm1−xCexB6 (x=0.05, 0.10 and 0.20) were investigated using X-ray diffraction techniques, electrical resistivity and magnetisation measurements. Phase composition analysis of the powder X-ray diffraction data collected on the as-grown boules revealed that the main phase was that of the parent compound, SmB6. Substitution of Sm ions with magnetic Ce ions does not lead to long-range magnetic ordering in the Sm1−xCexB6 crystals. The substitution with 5% Ce and above suppresses the cross-over from bulk conductivity at high temperatures to surface-only conductivity at low temperatures.
Highlights
Extensive investigations of the physical properties and excitations in the rare earth (RE) hexaboride compounds, REB6, have been carried out over the past decades
We investigated single crystals of Sm1− x Cex B6, with a focus on studying the effects that the substitution of the magnetic Ce ion have on the structural and physical properties of SmB6
energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results confirm that the Ce concentration is close to the nominal stoichiometric values of x = 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20
Summary
Extensive investigations of the physical properties and excitations in the rare earth (RE) hexaboride compounds, REB6 , have been carried out over the past decades. These strongly correlated electron systems display an array of interesting magnetic and electrical properties, such as superconductivity (YB6 [1,2,3]), intricate antiferromagnetic ordered phases owing to the displacement of rare earth ions within the rigid framework formed by the boron ions (GdB6 [4,5,6]), complex antiferromagnetic phases with Kondo-like characteristics (CeB6 [7,8,9,10]), semimetallic behaviour correlated with the transition to an unusual ferromagnetic state (EuB6 [11,12,13]), typical metallic behaviour (LaB6 [14,15,16]) or an exotic. The similarities between samarium and cerium hexaborides stop at the structural level, as they display very unusual, but different physical properties
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