Extensive studies of antiferromagnetic PuPd$_{2}$Sn
K. Gofryk, D. Kaczorowski, J-C. Griveau, N. Magnani, R. Jardin, E. Colineau, J. Rebizant, F. Wastin, and R. Caciuffo

A new compound PuPd$_{2}$Sn was studied by means of X--ray diffraction, magnetization, heat capacity, electrical resistivity, magnetoresistivity, Hall effect and thermoelectric power measurements, performed in the temperature range 2--300 K and in magnetic fields up to 14~T. This compound orders antiferromagnetically at 11~K and shows localized magnetism of Pu$^{3+}$ ion with $\mu_{eff}$ being close to the intermediate coupling value. The total splitting of the plutonium $^6H_{5/2}$ multiplet is of the order of 150~K with a doublet being the ground state. Below $T_{N}$ the specific heat and the electrical resistivity are dominated by electron--magnon scattering with an antiferromagnetic spin--waves spectrum typical of anisotropic antiferromagnetic systems. Strong enhancement of the low--temperature specific heat points to the presence of conduction electrons with high effective masses. The Hall coefficient of PuPd$_{2}$Sn is positive and dominated by magnetic skew scattering. The thermoelectric power attains small positive values at high temperatures and exhibits a broad negative peak around 55~K. This behavior is discussed in terms of models appropriate for metallic systems with strong electronic correlations.

© 2008 The American Physical Society.