Effects of external pressure on the narrow-gap semiconductor Ce3Cd2As6

Abstract

Here we report the magnetic and electronic properties of recently discovered Ce$_{3}$Cd$_{2}$As$_{6}$. At ambient pressure, Ce$_{3}$Cd$_{2}$As$_{6}$ presents a semiconducting behavior with an activation gap of 74(1)~meV. At 136~K, a sudden increase of the electrical resistivity and a peak in specific heat are consistent with a charge density wave transition. At low temperatures, antiferromagnetic order of the Ce$^{3+}$ ions occurs below $T_{\rm N} = 4.0$~K with a magnetic hard axis along the $c$-axis and a $\Gamma_{6} = |\pm1/2\rangle$ doublet ground state. The application of external pressure strongly suppresses the charge density wave order, which is completely suppressed above 0.8(1)~GPa, and induces a metallic ground state. No evidence for superconductivity is detected above 2~K. Conversely, the antiferromagnetic state is favored by pressure, reaching a transition temperature of 5.3~K at 3.8(1)~GPa. Notably, the resistivity anomaly characterizing the antiferromagnetic order changes with increasing pressure, indicating that two different magnetic phases might be present in Ce$_{3}$Cd$_{2}$As$_{6}$ under pressure. This change in ordering appears to be associated to the crossing of the $T_{\rm CDW}$ and $T_{\rm N}$ lines.