Interplay between Charge and Magnetic Ordering in YbPd

The pressure-temperature phase diagram of an intermediate-valence compound YbPd was revealed via simultaneous ac-calorimetry and electrical resistivity measurements. Two successive structural phase transition temperatures, $T_1$ = 125 K and $T_2$ = 110 K, are found to decrease with increasing pressure. The magnetic ordering transition at $T_{\rm N} ~sim$ 1.9 K decreases monotonically up to 1.7 GPa and disappears discontinuously at $P_{\rm c} sim$ 1.9 GPa, where the structural phase transition at $T_2$ is also suppressed. At $P_{\rm c}$, enhancement of the effective mass and residual resistivity are observed. Another probable magnetic phase transition, however, is found to take place at $T_{\rm ML} sim$0.3 K and smoothly varies even when crossing $P_{\rm c}$. Structural phase transitions at ambient pressure were also studied by a single crystal X-ray diffraction measurement. Below $T_2$, a tetragonal lattice distortion with doubling of the unit cell along the c-axis is observed, and thus there are two inequivalent Yb-sites below $P_{\rm c}$. These results indicate that one Yb-site, having larger valence configuration and thus smaller Kondo temperature, orders at $T_{\rm N}$. The other phase transition at $T_{\rm ML}$ seems to couple to the crystal structure for $T_2 < T < T_1$. YbPd is a unique system exhibiting magnetic orderings in metallic charge-ordered Yb systems.

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