Crystalline electric fields and the ground state of Ce$_{3}$Rh$_{4}$Pb$_{13}$

TL;DR

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of Ce3Rh4Pb13, revealing localized Ce moments, crystal electric field effects splitting the ground state, and absence of magnetic order above 0.35 K.

Contribution

First synthesis and detailed analysis of Ce3Rh4Pb13, highlighting crystal electric field effects and magnetic properties of this new intermetallic compound.

Findings

Ce moments are highly localized despite metallic resistivity.

Crystal electric field splits the Ce ground state into a quartet and doublet.

No magnetic order observed above 0.35 K.

Abstract

We have succeeded in synthesizing of single crystals of a new intermetallic compound, Ce$_{3}$Rh$_{4}$Pb$_{13}$. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that the Ce moments are highly localized, despite the metallic character of the electrical resistivity. Heat capacity measurements reveal that the cubic crystal electric field lifts the six-fold degeneracy of the Ce$^{3+}$ ground state, with the quartet state separated by approximately 60 K from the doublet ground state. The magnetic field dependence of the heat capacity at low temperature indicates a further splitting of the doublet, but no sign of magnetic order was found above 0.35 K.