Electronic properties of UX{sub 3} (X=Ga, Al, and Sn) compounds in high magnetic fields: Transport, specific heat, magnetization, and quantum oscillations

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.59.14473· OSTI ID:345421

Cornelius, A L; Arko, A J; Sarrao, J L; Thompson, J D; Hundley, M F; Booth, C H ^[1]; Harrison, N ^[2]; Oppeneer, P M ^[3]

---

1. Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545 (United States)
2. National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
3. Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Technology, D-01062 Dresden (Germany)

We have performed measurements of the specific heat and resistivity in static magnetic fields up to 12 T, as well as magnetic measurements in a static field of 0.1 T and in pulsed fields up to 50 T on high-quality UX{sub 3} (X=Ga, Al, and Sn) single crystals. The behavior of the electronic specific heat coefficients in applied field {gamma}(B) either remains nearly constant or increases as {ital B} increases and is inconsistent with the expectations of the single-impurity model. For UGa{sub 3}, different de Haas{endash}van Alphen (dHvA) frequencies are observed above and below a magnetic transition at a field B{sub M}{approximately}12 T at T{approximately}0.5 K, indicating that a major reconstruction of the Fermi surface occurs. Neither USn{sub 3} nor UAl{sub 3} exhibited a magnetic transition in fields to 50 T, and only a single weak dHvA frequency was observed in these compounds. The difference between the behavior of the UX{sub 3} compounds can be attributed to the degree of hybridization of the 5f orbitals with the conduction electron orbitals. UGa{sub 3} behaves as an itinerant 5f-electron system, while UAl{sub 3} has a tendency to localization, but is still relatively delocalized. USn{sub 3} is a heavy fermion compound. Concurrent to our experimental investigations we have performed calculations of the energy band structures of the three compounds. Owing to the delocalized 5f behavior of UGa{sub 3}, and also of UAl{sub 3}, we find that an itinerant, energy band approach explains the dHvA frequencies of antiferromagnetic UGa{sub 3} and paramagnetic UAl{sub 3} reasonably well. For UGa{sub 3} an unusual sensitivity of the magnetic moment to the magnetic structure and the lattice parameter occurs, providing evidence that UGa{sub 3} is an unique example of an itinerant uranium-based antiferromagnet. thinsp {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 345421
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 59; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
BAND THEORY
DE HAAS-VAN ALPHEN EFFECT
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
FERMI LEVEL
GALLIUM ALLOYS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETIZATION
SPECIFIC HEAT
TIN ALLOYS
URANIUM ALLOYS