Single crystal growth of CeTAl$_3$ (T = Cu, Ag, Au, Pd and Pt)

Abstract

We report single crystal growth of the series of CeTAl$_3$ compounds with T = Cu, Ag, Au, Pd and Pt by means of optical float zoning. High crystalline quality was confirmed in a thorough characterization process. With the exception of CeAgAl$_3$, all compounds crystallize in the non-centrosymmetric tetragonal BaNiSn$_{3}$ structure (space group: I4mm, No. 107), whereas CeAgAl$_3$ adopts the related orthorhombic PbSbO$_2$Cl structure (Cmcm, No. 63). An attempt to grow CeNiAl$_3$ resulted in the composition CeNi$_2$Al$_5$. Low temperature resistivity measurements down to $\sim$0.1K did not reveal evidence suggestive of magnetic order in CePtAl$_3$ and CePdAl$_3$. In contrast, CeAuAl$_3$, CeCuAl$_3$ and CeAgAl$_3$ display signatures of magnetic transitions at 1.3K, 2.1K and 3.2K, respectively. This is consistent with previous reports of antiferromagnetic order in CeAuAl$_3$, and CeCuAl$_3$ as well as ferromagnetism in CeAgAl$_3$, respectively.