Ultrasonic investigation of the elastic properties of the approximant GdCd6

Abstract

We have investigated complementarily the magneto-elastic coupling in the approximant GdCd6 by measuring the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the longitudinal elastic constant C11. A pronounced elastic softening toward the phase transition temperature Ts= 156 K was observed in the temperature dependence of the C11, suggesting the presence of a structural phase transition. Furthermore, anomalous elastic behavior was observed in the temperature dependence of the C11 below 20 K, closely related to the already known consecutive magnetic phase transitions. The H–T magnetic phase diagram deduced from elastic anomalies appearing at the different phase transitions are consistent with our previous data of the other independent elastic constants CE= (C11−C12)/2 and C44 for a cubic crystal. We argue the origin of the structural phase transition and low temperature elastic property including a possible origin of such a rich variety of magnetic phases.