2004/12/19 by W. M. Yuhasz, N. A. Frederick, Pei-Chun Ho +12 · 3 citations
Chemistry · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Inorganic Chemistry and Materials #Iron-based superconductors research #Rare-earth and actinide compounds #cond-mat.str-el
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.71.104402
published as Phys. Rev. B 71, 104402 (2005). · 24 pages, 11 Postscript figures, to be published in Physical Review B
arxiv created 2004/12/19 · openalex publication_date 2005/03/03 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The filled skutterudite compound SmOs4Sb12 was prepared in single-crystal form and characterized using x-ray diffraction, specific-heat, electrical resistivity, and magnetization measurements. The SmOs4Sb12 crystals have the LaFe4P12-type structure with lattice parameter a=9.3085\phantom\rule0.3em0ex\mathrm\AA. Specific-heat measurements indicate a large electronic specific-heat coefficient of \ensuremath≈880\phantom\rule0.3em0exmJ∕mol\phantom\rule0.2em0exK2, from which an enhanced effective mass m*\ensuremath≈170me is estimated. The specific-heat data also suggest crystalline electric field (CEF) splitting of the Sm3+J=5∕2 multiplet into a \ensuremathΓ7 doublet ground state and a \ensuremathΓ8 quartet excited state separated by \ensuremath∼37\phantom\rule0.3em0exK. Electrical resistivity \ensuremathρ(T) measurements reveal a decrease in \ensuremathρ(T) below \ensuremath∼50\phantom\rule0.3em0exK that is consistent with CEF splitting of \ensuremath∼33\phantom\rule0.3em0exK between a \ensuremathΓ7 doublet ground state and \ensuremathΓ8 quartet excited state. Specific-heat and magnetic susceptibility measurements display a possible weak ferromagnetic transition at \ensuremath∼2.6\phantom\rule0.3em0exK, which could be an intrinsic property of SmOs4Sb12 or possibly due to an unknown impurity phase.