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Anomalous magnetic, transport and thermal properties of Gd5Ge3

We have studied the magnetic, thermal and magnetotransport properties of polycrystalline Gd5Ge3. It is found that the compound is a strong antiferromagnet and does not undergo any strong metamagnetic transition even in a field of 90 kOe. However, a small but visible ferromagnetic component is found to coexist with the antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures, as revealed by the anomalies in magnetization, magnetoresistance and heat capacity data. Our data suggest that the ferromagnetic component is of magnetostructural in origin, as evidenced by the strong field induced irreversibility of the magnetoresistance and heat capacity isotherms. The first order like magnetostructural distortion established in this material is found to result in a martensitic like scenario wherein the kinetic arrest controls the field/temperature dependence of physical properties such as heat capacity and magnetoresistance.