Anisotropic magnetic properties of trigonal ErAl₂Ge₂ single crystal

Abstract

We report the anisotropic magnetic properties of the ternary compound ErAl 2 Ge 2 . Single crystals of this compound were grown by high temperature solution growth technique,using Al:Ge eutectic composition as flux. From the powder x-ray diffraction we confirmed that ErAl 2 Ge 2 crystallizes in the trigonal CaAl 2 Si 2 -type crystal structure. The anisotropic magnetic properties of a single crystal were investigated by measuring the magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, heat capacity and electrical resistivity. A bulk magnetic ordering occurs around 4 K inferred from the magnetic susceptibility and the heat capacity. The magnetization measured along the ab-plane increases more rapidly than along the c-axis suggesting the basal ab-plane as the easy plane of magnetization. The magnetic susceptibility, magnetization and the 4f -derived part of the heat capacity in the paramagnetic regime analysed based on the point charge model of the crystalline electric field (CEF) indicate a relatively low CEF energy level splitting.arXiv:1911.07589v1 [cond-mat.str-el] 18 Nov 2019Anisotropic magnetic properties of trigonal ErAl 2 Ge 2 single crystal