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Single crystal growth and physical properties of the layered arsenide BaRh_2As_2

Single crystals of BaRh_2As_2 have been synthesized from a Pb flux. We present the room temperature crystal structure, single crystal x-ray diffraction measurements as a function of temperature T, anisotropic magnetic susceptibility χversus T, electrical resistivity in the ab-plane ρversus T, Hall coefficient versus T and magnetic field H, and heat capacity C versus T measurements on the crystals. The single crystal structure determination confirms that BaRh_2As_2 forms in the tetragonal ThCr_2Si_2 type structure (space group I4/mmm) with lattice parameters a = b = 4.0564(6)Åand c = 12.797(4) Å. Band structure calculations show that BaRh_2As_2 should be metallic with a small density of states at the Fermi energy N(E_ F) = 3.49 states/eV f.u. (where f.u. \equiv formula unit) for both spin directions. ρ(T) data in the ab-plane confirm that the material is indeed metallic with a residual resistivity ρ(2K) = 29 μΩcm, and with a residual resistivity ratio ρ(310K)/ρ(2K) = 5.3. The observed χ(T) is small (\sim 10^{-5} cm^3/mol) and weakly anisotropic with χ_{ab}/χ_ c \approx 2. The C(T) data indicate a small density of states at the Fermi energy with the low temperature Sommerfeld coefficient γ= 4.7(9) mJ/mol K^2. There are no indications of superconductivity, spin density wave, or structural transitions between 2K and 300K. We compare the calculated density of states versus energy of BaRh_2As_2 with that of BaFe_2As_2.