Magnetic properties of PrCr2Si2C single crystal

Abstract

A PrCr2Si2C single crystal has been prepared by the Czochralski method and investigated by specific-heat, ac susceptibility, and magnetization measurements in the temperature range of 2–900K and in magnetic fields up to 9T applied parallel to the principal crystallographic axes. The temperature dependencies of the heat capacity and ac susceptibility exhibit a clear anomaly at ∼30K, attributed to a para-to-ferromagnetic phase transition at the Curie temperature TC. Moreover, a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy is evident from the magnetization measurements. Electronic structure of PrCr2Si2C was studied by the first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory, which predicts a stable Cr magnetic moment. No clear confirmation of Cr magnetism, however, can be found in our experimental data.