Effects of substitution on low temperature physical properties of LuFe2Ge2

TL;DR

This study investigates how various elemental substitutions in LuFe2Ge2 influence its low temperature magnetic phase transition, revealing suppression or enhancement effects depending on the substituent, and constructing phase diagrams to understand these changes.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how Y, Sc, Ru, and Co substitutions affect the magnetic transition in LuFe2Ge2, including detailed phase diagrams and the potential for a unified understanding.

Findings

Co suppresses the transition below 2 K.

Sc enhances the transition temperature.

Y and Ru suppress the transition to lower temperatures.

Abstract

The low temperature, magnetic phase transition in LuFe2Ge2 is thought to be associated with itinerant magnetism. The effects of Y and Sc substitutions on the Lu site, as well as Ru and Co substitutions on the Fe site, on the low temperature magnetic phase transition of LuFe2Ge2 compound have been studied in single crystals via microscopic, thermodynamic and transport measurements. On one hand, Co substitution suppresses the transition below our base temperature of 2 K even at our lowest substitution level. On the other hand, Sc substitution enhances the transition temperature, and Y or Ru substitution suppresses the transition to lower temperature. Phase diagrams for Y, Sc and Ru substitutions have been constructed and the possibility of a unifying, composite diagram is discussed.