Structures and physical properties of R2TX3 compounds

Abstract

Rare-earth compounds have been an attractive subject based on the unique electronic structures of the rare-earth elements. Novel ternary intermetallic compounds R2TX3 (R = rare-earth element or U, T = transition-metal element, X = Si, Ge, Ga, In) are a significant branch of this research field due to their complex and intriguing physical properties, such as magnetic order at low temperature, spin-glass behavior, Kondo effect, heavy fermion behavior, and so on. The unique physical properties of R2TX3 compounds are related to distinctive electronic structures, crystal structures, microinteraction, and external environment. Most R2TX3 compounds crystallize in AlB2-type or derived AlB2-type structures and exhibit many similar properties. This paper gives a concise review of the structures and physical properties of these compounds. Spin glass, magnetic susceptibility, resistivity, and specific heat of R2TX3 compounds are discussed.