A first-order magnetic phase transition near 15K with novel magnetic-field-induced effects in Er5Si3

Abstract

We present magnetic characterization of a binary rare-earth intermetallic compound Er5Si3, crystallizing in Mn5Si 3-type hexagonal structure, through magnetization, heat capacity, electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements. Our investigations confirm that the compound exhibits two magnetic transitions with decreasing temperature, the first one at 35K and the second one at 15K. The present results reveal that the second magnetic transition is a disorder-broadened first-order transition, as shown by thermal hysteresis in the measured data. Another important finding is that, below 15K, there is a magnetic-field-induced transition with a hysteretic effect with the electrical resistance getting unusually enhanced at this transition and the magnetoresistance is found to exhibit intriguing magnetic-field dependence, indicating novel magnetic phase coexistence phenomenon. It thus appears that this compound is characterized by interesting magnetic anomalies in the temperaturemagnetic-field phase diagram. � 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd.