Crystal growth and magnetic properties of Ln(4)MGa(12) (Ln = Dy-Er; M = Pd, Pt)

J Phys Condens Matter. 2007 Jul 4;19(26):266224. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/19/26/266224. Epub 2007 Jun 18.

Abstract

Single crystals of Ln(4)MGa(12) (Ln = Dy, Ho, Er; M = Pd,Pt) were synthesized by a flux technique using excess Ga and characterized by single crystal x-ray diffraction. Ln(4)MGa(12) (Ln = Dy, Ho, Er; M = Pd,Pt) crystallize in the cubic space group [Formula: see text] (no. 229) with lattice parameter a∼8.5 Å, Z = 2. Magnetic measurements show that Dy(4)PdGa(12) and Er(4)PdGa(12) are antiferromagnetic with transitions at T(N) = 10 and 5.2 K, respectively, while Ho(4)PdGa(12) does not show any magnetic ordering down to 2 K. Ln(4)PtGa(12) (Ln = Dy, Ho, Er) order antiferromagnetically at T(N) = 9.8, 3.6 and 5.1 K for Dy(4)PtGa(12), Ho(4)PtGa(12) and Er(4)PtGa(12), respectively. The electrical resistivity data show metallic behaviour. Large positive magnetoresistance is shown for each compound, up to 900% at 3 K and 9 T for the Ho(4)PtGa(12) analogue.