Investigation of structural and magnetic properties of PrIr3B2 single crystal

S Manni,S K Dhar,A Thamizhavel

doi:10.1063/1.5079847

Abstract

We report the growth of a single crystal of PrIr3B2 by Czochralski pulling method and its structural and anisotropic magnetic properties. At room temperature, PrIr3B2 crystallizes in the hexagonal CeCo3B2-type (P6/mmm) structure. However, a change of crystal symmetry is indicated by a hysteretic transition observed in both the resistivity and heat capacity taking place at ≈ 280 K, which is similar to the observed transition from monoclinic (at room temperature) to hexagonal at 395 K previously reported in CeIr3B2 in literature. The jump in the heat capacity at the transition during cooling is nearly 400 J/mol K. The Curie-Weiss behavior of susceptibility conforms to a trivalent state of the Pr ions, which order antiferromagnetically or ferrimagnetically, as inferred from a relatively broad peak in the susceptibility centered around 10 K. The bulk magnetic transition is further corroborated by an anomaly in the heat capacity at low temperatures. Both the temperature dependence of magnetization, and the isothermal magnetization at 2 K reveal a highly anisotropic magnetic behavior in PrIr3B2 with c-axis [0001] as the hard direction of magnetization. The electrical resistivity shows normal metallic behavior down to TN, below which it shows an upturn suggesting the onset of superzone gap.

Highlights

Method was used to characterize the symmetry of the single crystal and to orient it along the desired directions, at room temperature and powder x-ray diffraction (Cu-Kα radiation of λ = 1.5418 Å) was used to find the lattice parameters at 300 K
Using x-ray powder and single crystal diffraction, Sologub et al in a later work inferred the hexagonal, CeCo3B2-type structure for CeIr3B2 and PrIr3B2.4 Working on a single crystal of CeIr3B2 grown by Czochralski pulling method, Kubota et al found that there is a structural transition from room temperature monoclinic to hexagonal symmetry approximately at 395 K on heating
Laue diffraction scitation.org/journal/adv method was used to characterize the symmetry of the single crystal and to orient it along the desired directions, at room temperature and powder x-ray diffraction (Cu-Kα radiation of λ = 1.5418 Å) was used to find the lattice parameters at 300 K

Summary

Introduction

Using x-ray powder and single crystal diffraction, Sologub et al in a later work inferred the hexagonal, CeCo3B2-type structure for CeIr3B2 and PrIr3B2.4 Working on a single crystal of CeIr3B2 grown by Czochralski pulling method, Kubota et al found that there is a structural transition from room temperature monoclinic to hexagonal symmetry approximately at 395 K on heating.5 Somewhat similar to its Rh-analog, CeIr3B2 orders ferromagnetically with a relatively high TC of 41 K. The crystal was cut along the principal crystallographic directions along viz., [1010], [1210] and [0001] for electrical, magnetic and heat capacity measurements.

Results

Conclusion