Abstract
single crystals are synthesized by the Sn-flux method and their physical properties are characterized by magnetization, resistivity, and specific heat measurements. Powder x-ray diffraction patterns of all samples can be well indexed with the hexagonal -type structure, where rare-earth atoms form hexagonal layers and vanadium atoms form kagome layers. At high temperatures, magnetic susceptibility measurements of moment-bearing rare-earth ions follow Curie-Weiss behavior. Effective moments estimated from the polycrystalline average of magnetic susceptibility curves are consistent with the values for free ions. Strong magnetic anisotropy due to crystalline electric field effects is observed for moment-bearing rare-earth ions, except . The easy magnetization direction is determined to be the axis for and plane for and Tm. The vanadium ions in possess no magnetic moment. The compounds for and Lu exhibit typical characteristics of paramagnetic metals. At low temperatures, the magnetic ordering is confirmed from magnetization, specific heat, and resistivity: the highest K for and the lowest K for . No magnetic ordering is observed down to 1.8 K for and Tm. A slight deviation of the magnetic ordering temperature from the de Gennes scaling suggests the dominant Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida exchange interaction between rare-earth moments in metallic compounds.
2 More- Received 6 June 2022
- Accepted 2 August 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.6.083401
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