Low Temperature Properties of Selected Kramers Rare Earth Oxychlorides

Abstract

Abstract. In this work, we present low temperature magnetic and electronic properties measured on selected Kramers rare-earth oxychlorides REOCl, RE= Nd, Gd, Dy which adopt the PbFCl-type of structure. Prepared powder samples were characterized by means of standard structural, magnetic and electronic methods as X-ray diffraction (300 K), heat capacity (0.3 K -12 K) and susceptibility measurements (2 K -300 K, at ambient pressure and hydrostatic pressures up to 0.68 ± 0.01 GPa). Our results indicate new transition to the ordered magnetic state for GdOCl and NdOCl compound at temperatures of 5 K and 1.5 K, respectively. We found small increase of magnetization saturation value of dysprosium oxychloride with an applied hydrostatic pressure, but no remarkable changes occur to antiferromagnetic transition temperature (T N ∼ 9.2 K) when a moderate hydrostatic pressure (p ≤ 0.68 ± 0.01 GPa) was applied. Observed deviations from the Curie Weiss behavior below 26 K can be caused by the vicinity of the magnetic ordering temperature, or another magnetic effects. The single crystal experiments which will solve this opened question are in progress.