Magnetic and transport properties of Pr2Pt3Si5

TL;DR

This study explores the magnetic and transport behaviors of Pr2Pt3Si5, revealing a nonmagnetic singlet ground state and metallic conductivity, with no long-range magnetic order observed down to 2 K.

Contribution

It provides detailed magnetic, thermal, and electrical characterization of Pr2Pt3Si5, highlighting its crystal electric field effects and nonmagnetic ground state, which are novel insights for this compound.

Findings

Sharp magnetic anomaly near 15 K

Broad specific heat anomaly indicating no long-range order

Metallic resistivity behavior well described by Bloch-Grüneisen-Mott relation

Abstract

We have investigated the magnetic and transport properties of a polycrystalline Pr2Pt3Si5 sample through the dc and ac magnetic susceptibilities, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements. The Rietveld refinement of the powder X-ray diffraction data reveals that Pr2Pt3Si5 crystallizes in the U2Co3Si5-type orthorhombic structure (space group Ibam). Both the dc and ac magnetic susceptibility data measured at low fields exhibit sharp anomaly near 15 K. In contrast, the specific heat data exhibit only a broad anomaly implying no long range magnetic order down to 2 K. The broad Schottky-type anomaly in low temperature specific heat data is interpreted in terms of crystal electric field (CEF) effect, and a CEF-split singlet ground state is inferred. The absence of the long range order is attributed to the presence of nonmagnetic singlet ground state of the Pr3+ ion. The electrical resistivity data exhibit metallic behavior and are well described by the Bloch-Gr\"uniesen-Mott relation.