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Thesis Defense
Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Single Crystal YbNi4Cd
JEONGHUN LEE
SFU Physics
Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Single Crystal YbNi4Cd
Jul 20, 2018 at 12PM
Synopsis
The single crystal growth and the physical properties of the rare-earth based ternary intermetallic compounds RNi4Cd (R = Y and Yb) will be presented. The powder X-ray diffraction measurement reveals that these compounds crystallize in the face-centered cubic (fcc), MgCu4Sn-type structure (space group F-43m). Magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat measurements are used to study thermodynamic and transport properties of YbNi4Cd. The magnetic susceptibility shows that 4f electrons of Yb3+ ions are well localized. The electrical resistivity and specific heat exhibits an antiferromagnetic ordering below TN = 0.97 K. Applying a field along [111] direction results in the suppression of TN below 0.4 K at the critical field Hc ~ 4.5 kOe. No non-Fermi liquid behavior is observed in the vicinity of Hc. Above Hc, the magnetoresistivity shows an unconventional temperature dependence ρ (T) = ρ0+ ATn with n > 2, suggesting that an additional scattering mechanism in the resistivity needs to be considered. Based on the analysis of experimental results, we conclude that the Yb3+ moments and conduction electrons are weakly coupled. Despite the antiferromagnetic ordering below TN, YbNi4Cd exhibits a large frustration parameter |θp/TN| ~ 16, where the magnetic Yb3+ ions occupy the tetrahedra on the fcc lattice.