Structure and magnetic, thermal, and electronic transport properties of single crystal EuPd2Sb2

TL;DR

This study reports the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of EuPd2Sb2 single crystals, revealing antiferromagnetic order, spin reorientation, metallic transport, and field-induced magnetic transitions, expanding understanding of its magnetic and electronic properties.

Contribution

First detailed investigation of EuPd2Sb2 single crystals, demonstrating its magnetic, thermal, and electronic transport properties and identifying multiple magnetic transitions.

Findings

EuPd2Sb2 crystallizes in CaBe2Ge2-type structure.

Antiferromagnetic ordering at 6.0 K with spin reorientation at 4.5 K.

Metallic behavior with electron-dominated charge transport.

Abstract

Single crystals of EuPd2Sb2 have been grown from PdSb self-flux. The properties of the single crystals have been investigated by x-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility chi, magnetization M, electrical resistivity rho, Hall coefficient R_H, and heat capacity Cp measurements versus temperature T and magnetic field H. Single crystal x-ray diffraction studies confirmed that EuPd2Sb2 crystallizes in the CaBe2Ge2-type structure. The chi(T) measurements suggest antiferromagnetic ordering at 6.0 K with the easy axis or plane in the crystallographic ab plane. An additional transition occurs at 4.5 K that may be a spin reorientation transition. The Cp(T) data also show the two transitions at 6.1 K and 4.4 K, respectively, indicating the bulk nature of the transitions. The 4.4 K transition is suppressed below 1.8 K while the 6.1 K transition moves down to 3.3 K in H = 8 T. The rho(T) data show metallic behavior down to 1.8 K along with an anomaly at 5.5 K in zero field. The anomaly is suppressed to 2.7 K in an 8 T field. The R_H measurements indicated that the dominant charge carriers are electrons. The M(H) isotherms show three field-induced transitions at 2.75 T, 3.90 T, and 4.2 T magnetic fields parallel to the ab plane at 1.8 K. No transitions are observed in M(H) for fields parallel to the c axis.