Physical properties and growth of YbCdSb2 intermetallic compound

• Grant number: 17/21883-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2018
• End date: July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Pascoal Jose Giglio Pagliuso
• Grantee: Denise Sacramento Christovam
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this proposal we aspire to grow and characterize single crystals of the intermetallic compound YbCdSb2. This compound will be synthesized stoichiometric and with different Cd concentrations, using the Sb-flux technique. Previous results from our group show that the family of heavy-fermion intermetallics RTBi2 (R = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd; T = Cu, Au) and the compound CeCd0,7Sb2 exibit crystal field effects and strong competition between ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions. These compounds appear to be largely influenced by the systems dimentionality (c/a ratio). This family displays highly localized magnetic moment of Ce3+ rare-earth ion, which has one electron in its fundamental state (2F5/2). It stands out for the crystal field effects dominating the magnetic interactions through the series. There seems to occur strong competitions between magnetic interactions such as FM within shells and AFM at shells, resulting in interesting properties. Moreover, the strong localization of Ce 4f electrons in those compounds implies that the family has lower chance of displaying unconventional ambient pressure supercondutivity. A viable alternative to achieve favorable conditions to superconductivity would be changing Ce for another rare-earth element, showing higher hibridization of conduction electrons and 4f bands. The best candidate is Yb3+ (fundamental level 2F7/2 and also capable of presenting Kondo effects). Accordingly, this project proposes the growth and characterization of the physical properties of YbCdSb2 compound, providing opportunities to explore the search criteria for a new compound, from a similar series. Therefore, we aim to explore the magnetism of the unpublished YbCdSb2 compound, and its physical properties dependence to stoichiometry and crystal field effects. The studies in the proposal are part of a broader research project that intend to explore the possible interplay between unconventional supercondutivity and 4f magnetism, particularly in 1-1-2 compound series. (AU)