Structure and physical properties of RT{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=rare earth, T=Ni, Pd) compounds with the CeCr{sub 2}Al{sub 20}-type structure
Eleven new compounds, R Ni{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Y, La–Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb) and R Pd{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Ce, Pr, Sm), were grown as single crystals in high temperature cadmium-rich solutions. They crystallize in the cubic CeCr{sub 2}Al{sub 20}-type structure (Fd3{sup ¯}m, Z=8) as characterized by measurements of powder X-ray diffraction. Electrical resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat measurements were performed on R Ni{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Y, La–Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb) single crystals. Whereas YNi{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} and LaNi{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} exhibit unremarkable metallic behavior, when magnetic moments from localized 4f electron states (Gd{sup 3+}–Tb{sup 3+}) are embedded into this host, they exhibit ferromagnetic order with values of the Curie temperature T{sub C} for R Ni{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Gd, and Tb) which scale with the de Gennes factor. - Graphical abstract: Specific heat divided by temperature C/T vs. T for single crystals of R Ni{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Y, La–Nd, Gd, and Tb). Left inset: Low temperature C/T vs. T{sup 2} for LaNi{sub 2}Cd{sub 20}. The solid line represents a linear fit of the data. Right inset: Low-temperature C/T data vs. T for R=Ce–Nd, Gd, and Tb; magnetic ordering temperatures are indicated by arrows. - Highlights: • R Ni{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Y, La–Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb) single crystals synthesized for the first time. • R Pd{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Ce, Pr, Sm) single crystals synthesized for the first time. • Single crystals are of good metallurgical quality (large RRR values). • NdNi{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} orders antiferromagnetically at T{sub N}=1.5 K. • R Ni{sub 2}Cd{sub 20} (R=Sm, Gd, Tb) order ferromagnetically.