Magnetic behavior of new compounds, Gd3RuSn6 and Tb3RuSn6

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetic, electrical, and thermal properties of Gd3RuSn6 and Tb3RuSn6, revealing antiferromagnetic transitions, unusual resistivity behavior, and complex magnetic phenomena in these orthorhombic compounds.

Contribution

First detailed characterization of Gd3RuSn6 and Tb3RuSn6, uncovering their magnetic transitions and complex magnetic behaviors in orthorhombic structure.

Findings

Antiferromagnetic order near 19 K (Gd) and 25 K (Tb)

Additional magnetic transitions around 14 K (Gd) and 17 K (Tb)

Unusual resistivity minimum and magnetoresistance anomalies

Abstract

We report temperature (T) dependence of dc magnetization, electrical resistivity (rho(T)), and heat-capacity of rare-earth (R) compounds, Gd3RuSn6 and Tb3RuSn6, which are found to crystallize in the Yb3CoSn6-type orthorhombic structure (space group: Cmcm). The results establish that there is an onset of antiferromagnetic order near (T_N) 19 and 25 K respectively. In addition, we find that there is another magnetic transition for both the cases around 14 and 17 K respectively. In the case of the Gd compound, the spin-scattering contribution to rho is found to increase below 75 K as the material is cooled towards T_N, thereby resulting in a minimum in the plot of rho(T) unexpected for Gd based systems. Isothermal magnetization at 1.8 K reveals an upward curvature around 50 kOe. Isothermal magnetoresistance plots show interesting anomalies in the magnetically ordered state. There are sign reversals in the plot of isothermal entropy change versus T in the magnetically ordered state, indicating subtle changes in the spin reorientation with T. The results reveal that these compounds exhibit interesting magnetic properties.