Magnetic Properties and Phase Diagram of Mixed Crystal Ce_1-<i>x</i>Nd_<i>x</i>Ag

Abstract

Specific heat, AC susceptibility and magnetization have been measured on the mixed crystal of the cubic (CsCl-type) rare earth intermetallic compound Ce 1- x Nd x Ag (0 ≦ x ≦1). From the estimation of the magnetic contribution to the specific heat, it is found that Ce ion has a doublet state and Nd ion has a quartet state for the ground 4f energy level at any concentration of Nd. The magnetic x - T phase diagram was obtained from the temperature of the maximum in the specific heat and the susceptibility and the temperature of the magnetization disappearance. For 0.5 < x < 0.8 antiferromagnetic↔weak-ferromagnetic phase transition occurs, where no anomalous behaviour in the specific heat is observed. This is analyzed to be due to the existence of a strong higher-order interaction in addition to the simple molecular field as H exch (exchange field)=λ M + λ' M 3 .