Crystal structure and low-energy Einstein mode in ErV$_2$Al$_{20}$ intermetallic cage compound

Single crystals of a new ternary aluminide ErV$_2$Al$_{20}$ were grown using a self-flux method. The crystal structure was determined by powder X-ray diffraction measurements and Rietveld refinement, and physical properties were studied by means of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements. These measurements reveal that ErV$_2$Al$_{20}$ is a Curie-Weiss paramagnet down to 1.95 K with an effective magnetic moment $μ_{eff}$ = 9.27(1) $μ_B$ and Curie-Weiss temperature $Θ_{CW}$ = -0.55(4) K. The heat capacity measurements show a broad anomaly at low temperatures that is attributed to the presence of a low-energy Einstein mode with characteristic temperature $Θ_E$ = 44 K, approximately twice as high as in the isostructural 'Einstein solid' VAl$_{10.1}$.

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