Hall effect in PrB$_6$ and NdB$_6$

Abstract

Hall effect was studied on the single crystals of antiferromagnets PrB$_6$ and NdB$_6$ at temperatures 2K$<$T$<300$K in magnetic fields up to 8T using the sample rotation technique. At low magnetic fields $\mu_0$H$\leq1$T Hall coefficient R$_\mathrm{H}$, which is practically temperature independent in paramagnetic state at 8K$\leq$T$\leq70$K, is characterized by the values of R$_H$(PrB$_6$)$\sim-(4.2\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C and R$_H$(NdB$_6$)$\sim-(4.1\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C. Rather different behaviour of R$_H$ is observed in antiferromagnetic (AF) phases of these hexaborides. For PrB$_6$ the decrease of temperature below T$_N\approx6.7$K is accompanied by a noticeable ($\Delta R_H/R_H\sim10%$) elevation of R$_H$($\mu_0$H$=1$T) to the values of $-(3.8\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C. On the contrary, the low field Hall coefficient in NdB$_6$ diminishes by about 15% reaching the value R$_H\approx-(4.7\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C in AF state at 2.5K. The increase of magnetic field inducing magnetic transition in the commensurate magnetic phase of PrB$_6$ results in essential R$_H$ changes (up to 10%) at liquid helium temperatures. The anomalous behaviour of the charge transport parameters for RB$_6$ (R=Pr, Nd) found in vicinity of Neel temperature suggests the possible effect of $5d$-states spin density polarization of both in AF and paramagnetic states of the compounds under investigation.