Abstract
Magnetic, specific heat and transport studies on the solid solution LaCo13−xSix (x=3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.5) imply the existence of a critical composition xcrit=4 for the onset of magnetism. For alloys on the Co-rich side (x<4) magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal weak ferromagnetism with a decrease of TC with increasing x. These magnetic phase transitions are also seen in the electrical resistivity and specific heat measurements. At the stoichiometric composition with x=4, namely for LaCo9Si4, we observe full structural order within the space group I4/mcm, but magnetic order appears to be absent. LaCo9Si4 shows spin fluctuation behavior, which persists on the silicon-rich side x>4. Resistivity, susceptibility and specific heat measurements on LaCo9Si4 provide strong indication for the presence of spin fluctuations with a T2 temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, an enhanced low temperature Pauli susceptibility χ0LT≅47×10−3emu/mol at 2K and a large Sommerfeld value γ=200mJ/(molK2).
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