Giant magnetoresistance and magnetic phase diagram of UNiGa

Abstract

As a result of combined magnetization, specific heat, electrical resistivity, and neutron-scattering studies on single crystals, we present a complex magnetic phase diagram of UNiGa that exhibits several antiferromagnetic (AF) phases below TN=39 K. A relatively low magnetic field (∼1–1.5 T) applied along the c-axis induces metamagnetic transitions from the zero-field AF structures to an uncompensated AF and/or to a ferromagnetic (F) phase. All the magnetic structures are collinear (uranium magnetic moments parallel to the c-axis of the hexagonal structure). They consist of F basal-plane sheets which are coupled along c in various ways. The strongly anisotropic magnetism in UNiGa causes anisotropy of the electrical resistivity. The magnetic phase transitions are reflected in pronounced resistivity anomalies especially for current along the c-axis. The metamagnetic transitions are accompanied by giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effects which can be correlated with respective changes of the magnetic periodicity. This implies an important feature of the mechanism responsible for GMR phenomena in UNiGa. The strong resistance enhancement in the paramagnetic range when approaching TN is connected with AF short-range ordering with propagation along the c-axis.