Structural and magnetic properties of RInAu2 (R=La, Ce, Pr and Nd) at high pressure

Abstract Effect of pressure on the cubic to tetragonal structural transition temperature T M has been investigated in RInAu 2 (R=La, Ce, Pr and Nd) from the electrical resistivity measurements up to 24 kbar. The pressure dependence of T M is given by T M = A ( P c − P ) 1/2 with P c =57.6, 34.3 and 14.0 kbar and the initial pressure derivative d T M /d P =−1.9, −2.1 and −2.7 K/kbar for R=Ce, Pr and Nd, respectively. The existence of the Kondo effect is elucidated in both cubic and tetragonal phases of CeInAu 2 by the application of pressure. In NdInAu 2 the tetragonal phase is totally suppressed by pressure and a new pressure-induced phase transition appears at 3 K.