A first-order magnetic phase transition near 15 K with novel magnetic-field-induced effects in Er5Si3

TL;DR

This study investigates Er5Si3, revealing two magnetic transitions and a novel magnetic-field-induced phase coexistence with hysteresis and enhanced resistance below 15 K.

Contribution

First detailed magnetic characterization of Er5Si3 showing a disorder-broadened first-order transition and novel magnetic-field-induced effects.

Findings

Two magnetic transitions at 35 K and 15 K

Hysteretic magnetic-field-induced transition below 15 K

Enhanced electrical resistance and intriguing magnetoresistance behavior

Abstract

We present magnetic characterization of a binary rare-earth intermetallic compound Er5Si3, crystallizing in Mn5Si3-type hexagonal structure, through magnetization, heat-capacity, electrical resistivity, and magnetoresistance measurements. Our investigations confirm that the compound exhibits two magnetic transitions with decreasing temperature, first one at 35 K and the second one at 15 K. The present results reveal that the second magnetic transition is a disorder-broadened first-order transition, as shown by thermal hysteresis in the measured data. Another important finding is that, below 15 K, there is a magnetic-field-induced transition with a hysteretic effect with the electrical resistance getting unusually enhanced at this transition and the magnetorsistance (MR) is found to exhibit intriguing magnetic-field dependence indicating novel magnetic phase-co-existence phenomenon. It thus appears that this compound is characterized by interesting magnetic anomalies in the temperature-magnetic-field phase diagram.