Field-induced suppression of charge density wave in ${\mathbf{GdNiC}}_2$

We report the specific heat, magnetic, magnetotransport, and galvanomagnetic properties of polycrystalline ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$. In the intermediate temperature region above $T_N=20\mathrm{K}$, we observe large negative magnetoresistance due to Zeeman splitting of the electronic bands and partial destruction of a charge density wave ground state. Our magnetoresistance and Hall measurements show that at low temperatures a magnetic field-induced transformation from antiferromagnetic order to a metamagnetic phase results in the partial suppression of the CDW.

Figure 1

(a) The dependence of specific heat $C_p$ on temperature in applied magnetic field ${\mu }_{0}H$ of 3, 5, 7, and 9 T. (b) Map of specific heat of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field. $C_p$ versus $T$ measurements at constant $H$ were used to construct the plot. The phase diagram proposed by Hanasaki et al. [35] based on magnetization measurements is superimposed on the experimental data (black lines).

Figure 2

(a) Magnetisation of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ measured at various temperatures as a function of $H$. (b) and (c) show the expanded views of hysteresis observed at high and low fields, respectively.

Figure 3

Thermal dependence of resistivity of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ at various magnetic fields. (Inset) Expanded view of the range corresponding to low-temperature phase transitions.

Figure 4

Magnetoresistance of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$, as a function of magnetic field. Solid lines correspond to $-H^2$ fits to the experimental data. (Inset) Scaling of MR with Eq. (2) for $30\text{K}\le T\le 180$ K.

Figure 5

Magnetoresistance of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ as a function of magnetic field measured at (a) 30, (b) 24, (c) 20, (d) 18, (e) 10, and (f) 2 K. Arrows show the direction of the magnetic field sweep.

Figure 6

Hall coefficient of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ versus temperature at various fields. Arrows indicate characteristic phase transition temperatures.

Figure 7

Hall resistance of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ as a function of H for various temperatures above 60 K. Solid lines show the extended fits to the linear parts of the curves. For clarity, the curves have been vertically shifted.

Figure 8

Comparison of magnetoresistance, Hall resistivity, and magnetization of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ at $T=20\mathrm{K}$. Arrows in the upper and lower panels show the direction of the magnetic field sweep.

Figure 9

Comparison of magnetoresistance, Hall resistivity, and magnetization of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ at $T=10\mathrm{K}$. Arrows in the upper and lower panels show the direction of the magnetic field sweep.

Figure 10

Hall resistivity of ${\mathrm{GdNiC}}_2$ measured at 10 K (black squares) and ${\rho }_{xy}$ after subtraction of the estimated anomalous component (red circles), see text for details.