Unusual weak magnetic exchange in two different structure types: YbPt2Sn and YbPt2In

Area of Science:

• Condensed matter physics
• Materials science
• Magnetism

Background:

• Ytterbium (Yb) based intermetallic compounds are of interest for their diverse magnetic and electronic properties.
• Understanding structure-property relationships in these materials is crucial for developing new functional materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize two new Ytterbium compounds, YbPt(2)Sn and YbPt(2)In.
• To investigate their structural, magnetic, thermodynamic, and transport properties.
• To explore their potential applications in magnetic cooling and understand charge density wave phenomena.

Main Methods:

• X-ray powder diffraction for structural analysis.
• Specific heat measurements (C(T)) to probe magnetic and thermodynamic properties.
• Magnetic field dependence of specific heat to assess magnetocaloric effects.
• Analysis of charge density wave transitions.

Main Results:

• YbPt(2)Sn crystallizes in a hexagonal ZrPt(2)Al type structure, while YbPt(2)In adopts a cubic Heusler type structure.
• Both compounds show stable trivalent Yb(3+), weak exchange interactions (<1 K), and short-range magnetic ordering around 250 mK (YbPt(2)Sn) and 180 mK (YbPt(2)In).
• A significant magnetocaloric effect was observed, suggesting suitability for magnetic cooling. YbPt(2)In exhibits a charge density wave transition near 290 K.

Conclusions:

• YbPt(2)Sn and YbPt(2)In are promising candidates for magnetic refrigeration applications due to their low magnetic ordering temperatures and large magnetocaloric effects.
• The study highlights the prevalence of charge density wave transitions in rare earth intermetallic compounds (RET2X series).
• The findings contribute to the understanding of magnetic phenomena and material properties in Yb-based intermetallics.