Systematic investigation of the crystalline, magnetic and calorimetric properties of Gd_(1.02)Sc_(0.98)Ge_(1-x)Sbx compounds

摘要

The ternary RTX materials, where R = rare earth, T = transition metal, X = p-block element, are among the most extensively investigated rare-earth intermetallics. Of particular interest is the GdScGe material crystallizing in the CeScSi-type structure, as it is ferromagnetic with a strikingly high Curie temperature (Tc~ 350 K).1 On the other hand, GdScSb crystallizing in the closely related CeFeSi-type orders antiferomagnetically at Tn~ 55 K.2 Theoretical reports suggested that the different magnetic orders in GdScGe and GdScSb are intimately linked to the crystal structure type.3 In this work, we performed a systematic experimental study of the crystal structure and physical properties as a function of the concentration in Gd_(1.02)Sc_(0.98)Ge_(1-x)Sb_x intermetallics.