Synthesis, magnetic and electrical properties of R3AlCx (R = Ce, Pr and Nd)

Abstract R 3 AlC x (R = Ce, Pr and Nd; x = 0–1) series has been synthesized by arc melting. Rietveld analysis of x-ray powder diffraction reveals cubic (Pm-3m) structure. A Kondo temperature T K ~ 1 K is estimated for Ce 3 AlC 0.65 from the susceptibility and resistivity data. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate antiferromagnetic (AFM) order for R = Pr (x = 0.8 and 1) and Nd (x = 0.6, 0.8 and 1) and ferromagnetic (FM) for Nd 3 Al. Metamagnetic behaviour in the magnetization curve indicates complex magnetic structure. Band structure calculations indicate growth of a pseudo-gap in the density of states (DOS) from Ce 3 AlC to Pr 3 AlC to Nd 3 AlC. The DOS calculations predict a metallic behaviour which is consistent with the resistivity measurements.