Effects of external pressure on the narrow-gap semiconductor Ce3Cd2As6

Author(s)

Piva, M. M. ; Xiang, L. ; Thompson, J. D. ; Bud'ko, S. L. ; Ribeiro, R. A. ; Canfield, P. C. ; Rosa, P. F. S.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PHYSICAL REVIEW B; v. 105, n. 9, p. 7-pg., 2022-03-30.

Abstract

Here we report the magnetic and electronic properties of recently discovered Ce3Cd2As6. At ambient pressure, Ce3Cd2As6 presents a semiconducting behavior with an activation gap of 74(1) meV. At 136 K, a sudden increase of the electrical resistivity and a peak in specific heat are consistent with a charge density wave transition. At low temperatures, antiferromagnetic order of the Ce3+ ions occurs below T-N = 4.0 K with a magnetic hard axis along the c axis and a Gamma(6) = vertical bar +/- 1/2 > doublet ground state. The application of external pressure strongly suppresses the charge density wave order, which is completely suppressed above 0.8(1) GPa, and induces a metallic ground state. No evidence for superconductivity is detected above 2 K. Conversely, the antiferromagnetic state is favored by pressure, reaching a transition temperature of 5.3 K at 3.8(1) GPa. Notably, the resistivity anomaly characterizing the antiferromagnetic order changes with increasing pressure, indicating that two different magnetic phases might be present in Ce3Cd2As6 under pressure. This change in ordering appears to be associated to the crossing of the T-CDW and T-N lines. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/25269-3 - High pressure studies in SrFe2As2, CaMn2Bi2 and CeAuBi2 compounds
• Grantee: Mário Moda Piva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 15/15665-3 - Studies of orbital differentiation effects in the magnetic and superconducting properties of FeAs based compounds
• Grantee: Mário Moda Piva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• FAPESP's process: 17/10581-1 - Emergent phenomena in reduced dimension systems
• Grantee: Pascoal Jose Giglio Pagliuso
• Support Opportunities: Special Projects