Susceptibility measurements in PrxLa1-xInAg2 with Γ3 doublet ground state

Abstract

We have measured the susceptibility and magnetization of PrxLa1-xInAg2 at Pr concentrations x=1 and 0.1 down to T ∼ 0.5 K by SQUID magnetometer with a home-made 3He insert. The susceptibility above T = 15 K is well reproduced by the crystal-electric-field level scheme with a non-Kramers Γ3 doublet in the ground state for each concentration, while that below T = 15 K shows a non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) behavior with — ln T-dependence at low magnetic field. With increasing magnetic field, — ln T-dependence is suppressed and —T1−2-dependence appears at H = 7 T The magnetization at T = 0.5 K increases with increasing magnetic fields up to H = 7 T, indicating that the increase of the susceptibility does not come from impurity ions. These results suggest that the quadrupolar Kondo effect is responsible for NFL behavior of the susceptibility.