Interplay of 3d and 4f electrons in ZrCuSiAs-type oxypnictide CeCrAsO

Abstract

Abstract We investigated the physical properties of ZrCuSiAs-type oxypnictide CeCrAsO polycrystals by electrical transport, magnetic and thermodynamic measurements below room temperature. No superconductivity is found down to the lowest temperature measured (1.8 K). A first-order magnetic transition is consistently observed at . A Schottky anomaly is observed around 14 K and the ground-state doublet of Ce ions splits by 3.75 meV. It is suggested that the magnetic moments of Cr ions, which show long-range order above room temperature, reorient at . Meanwhile the generated internal magnetic field induces a short-range antiferromagnetic order of Ce moments, serving as a good probe for demonstrating the interplay between Cr-3 d and Ce-4 f electrons and further investigating the magnetism of Cr ions.