Multipolar Phase Transition in the 4$f^2$ fcc lattice compound PrCdNi$_{4}$

Yuka Kusanose; Yasuyuki Shimura; Kazunori Umeo; Naomi Kawata; Toshiro Takabatake; Taichi Terashima; Naoki Kikugawa; Takako Konoike; Yuya Hattori; Kazuhiro Nawa; Hung-Cheng Wu; Taku J Sato; Takahiro Onimaru

arXiv · 2504.05865

Multipolar Phase Transition in the 4$f^2$ fcc lattice compound PrCdNi$_{4}$

Yuka Kusanose·Yasuyuki Shimura·Kazunori Umeo·Naomi Kawata·Toshiro Takabatake·Taichi Terashima·Naoki Kikugawa·Takako Konoike·Yuya Hattori·Kazuhiro Nawa·Hung-Cheng Wu·Taku J Sato·Takahiro Onimaru

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Abstract

Transport and magnetic properties of a 4$f^{2}$ fcc lattice compound, PrCdNi$_4$, were studied. The magnetic susceptibility, $\chi(T)$, follows the Curie--Weiss law from 300 K to 20 K, as expected for a free Pr$^{3+}$ ion. As the temperature decreases below 5 K, $\chi(T)$ approaches a constant, indicating van-Vleck paramagnetic behavior. The specific heat, $C(T)$, displays a broad shoulder at around 4 K, which can be reproduced by a doublet triplet two-level model with an energy gap of 12 K. These results suggest a non-magnetic $\Gamma_3$ doublet ground state of the Pr$^{3+}$ ion in the cubic crystalline electric field. $C(T)$ exhibits a peak at $T_{\rm O}$ = 1.0 K and this peak remains robust against magnetic fields up to 5 T. In powder neutron diffraction measurements, no magnetic reflection was observed at 0.32 K $<$ $T_{\rm O}$. Two anomalies at $B$ = 2.1 and 5.3 T in magnetoresistance $\rho(B)$ at 0.05 K likely originate from switching in the order parameter. These results suggest that the phase transition at $T_{\rm O}$ is ascribed to an antiferro-type order of the electric quadrupole or magnetic octupole of the $\Gamma_3$ doublet in the 4$f^2$ fcc lattice.

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Yuka Kusanose, Yasuyuki Shimura, Kazunori Umeo, Naomi Kawata, Toshiro Takabatake, Taichi Terashima, Naoki Kikugawa, Takako Konoike, Yuya Hattori, Kazuhiro Nawa, Hung-Cheng Wu, Taku J Sato, Takahiro Onimaru. 2025-04-08. Multipolar Phase Transition in the 4$f^2$ fcc lattice compound PrCdNi$_{4}$. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.05865

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