Resistivity, Hall effect, and Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations in CeNiSn

The resistivity and Hall effect in CeNiSn are measured at temperatures down to 35 mK and in magnetic fields up to 20 T with the current applied along the b axis. The resistivity at zero field exhibits a quadratic temperature dependence below $\sim 0.16\mathrm{K}$ with a huge coefficient of the $T^2$ term $\left(54\mathrm{}\mu \Omega {\mathrm{c}\mathrm{m}/\mathrm{K}}^2\right).\mathrm{}$ The resistivity as a function of field shows an anomalous maximum and dip, the positions of which vary with field directions. Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations with a frequency F of $\sim 100\mathrm{T}$ are observed for a wide range of field directions in the $\mathrm{ac}$ and $\mathrm{bc}$ planes, and the quasiparticle mass is determined to be $\sim (10\mathrm{}–{20)m}_e.$ The carrier density is estimated to be $\sim {10}^{-3}$ electron/Ce. In a narrow range of field directions in the $\mathrm{ac}$ plane, where the magnetoresistance-dip anomaly manifests itself clearer than in other field directions, a higher-frequency $(F=300\mathrm{}–400\mathrm{T})$ SdH oscillation is found at high fields above the anomaly. This observation is discussed in terms of possible field-induced changes in the electronic structure.