Electron Spin Resonance of the itinerant ferromagnets LaCrGe3, CeCrGe3 and PrCrGe3

TL;DR

This study uses Electron Spin Resonance to investigate the magnetic properties of LaCrGe3, CeCrGe3, and PrCrGe3, revealing how their spectra change across the ferromagnetic transition and highlighting complex 4f-3d magnetic interactions.

Contribution

It provides new ESR data on these compounds, showing distinct spectral behaviors related to their magnetic ordering and 4f-3d interplay, especially in CeCrGe3.

Findings

Resonance spectra are similar in the paramagnetic phase for all compounds.

Distinct ESR behaviors are observed below the Curie temperature in each compound.

CeCrGe3 exhibits heavy fermion behavior even in the ordered state.

Abstract

We report Electron Spin Resonance of the itinerant ferromagnets LaCrGe3, CeCrGe3, and PrCrGe3. These compounds show well defined and very similar spectra of itinerant Cr 3d spins in the paramagnetic temperature region. Upon cooling and crossing the Cr-ferromagnetic ordering (below around 90 K) strong spectral structures start to dominate the resonance spectra in a quite different manner in the three compounds. In the Ce- and Pr-compounds the resonance is only visible in the paramagnetic region whereas in the La-compound the resonance can be followed far below the ferromagnetic ordering temperature. This behavior will be discussed in terms of the specific interplay between the 4f and 3d magnetism which appears quite remarkable since CeCrGe3 displays heavy fermion behavior even in the magnetically ordered state.