Magnetoresistance and magnetic ordering in praseodymium and neodymium hexaborides

Abstract

The magnetoresistance Δρ/ρ of single-crystal samples of praseodymium and neodymium hexaborides (PrB6 and NdB6) has been measured at temperatures ranging from 2 to 20 K in a magnetic field of up to 80 kOe. The results obtained have revealed a crossover of the regime from a small negative magnetoresistance in the paramagnetic state to a large positive magnetoresistive effect in magnetically ordered phases of the PrB6 and NdB6 compounds. An analysis of the dependences Δρ(H)/ρ has made it possible to separate three contributions to the magnetoresistance for the compounds under investigation. In addition to the main negative contribution, which is quadratic in the magnetic field (−Δρ/ρ ∝ H2), a linear positive contribution (Δρ/ρ ∝ H) and a nonlinear ferromagnetic contribution have been found. Upon transition to a magnetically ordered state, the linear positive component in the magnetoresistance of the PrB6 and NdB6 compounds becomes dominant, whereas the quadratic contribution to the negative magnetoresistance is completely suppressed in the commensurate magnetic phase of these compounds. The presence of several components in the magnetoresistance has been explained by assuming that, in the antiferromagnetic phases of PrB6 and NdB6, ferromagnetic nanoregions (ferrons) are formed in the 5d band in the vicinity of the rareearth ions. The origin of the quadratic contribution to the negative magnetoresistance is interpreted in terms of the Yosida model, which takes into account scattering of conduction electrons by localized magnetic moments of rare-earth ions. Within the approach used, the local magnetic susceptibility χloc has been estimated. It has been demonstrated that, in the temperature range TN < T < 20 K, the behavior of the local magnetic susceptibility χloc for the compounds under investigation can be described with good accuracy by the Curie-Weiss dependence χloc ∝ (T − Θp)−1.