Pressure-induced Magnetic Transition in a Single Crystal of YbCo₂Zn₂₀

Abstract

We have measured the electrical resistivity of a single crystal of YbCo 2 Zn 20 at pressures up to 2.37 GPa and at temperatures from 50 mK to 300 K. Above a critical pressure P c (∼1 GPa), we have found a resistivity anomaly at T M (∼0.15 K at 1 GPa) that increases with the pressure. At the ambient pressure, the system shows a nonmagnetic ground state described by the Fermi-liquid model. The T 2 coefficient of the electrical resistivity A strongly increases with the pressure upon approaching P c . However, in the vicinity of P c , the temperature dependence of the resistivity deviates from the Fermi-liquid description. These observations suggest that the application of hydrostatic pressure induces a magnetically ordered state for P ≥ P c and T ≤ T M .