Resistivity and Thermopower of Ho(Co1-xAlx)2-Effects of Pressure and Magnetic Field

Abstract

The electrical resistivity ρ and thermopower S of the cubic Laves phase compounds Ho(Co 1- x Al x ) 2 ( x =0, 0.15 and 0.20) have been measured at temperatures from 2 to 300 K in magnetic fields up to 10 T. The measurements of ρ under pressures up to 3 GPa have been performed in the temperature range between 2 K and 300 K. Both ρ( T ) and S ( T ) of the pure HoCo 2 reveal abrupt changes at the magnetic ordering temperature T C , indicating the first order transition. ρ( T ) of the Al substituted samples ( x =0.15 and 0.20) show anomalous behavior in the form of an increase below T C . The variations of ρ and S at T C clearly indicate that the type of the magnetic transition changes under substitution of Al for Co from the first order to the second order. The residual resistivity of Ho(Co 1- x Al x ) 2 shows a rapid increase with increasing x . T C increases linearly for x < 0.15, having a maximum at x ≈0.15 and decreases with further increase of x . The peculiar x dependence of T C and the anomalous behav...