Signature of partially frustrated moments and a new magnetic phase in CeNiGe2

Abstract

We report the magnetic, thermodynamic, and transport properties of a heavy fermion compound CeNiGe2. This compound undergoes two antiferromagnetic transitions around 4.1 and 3 K. It is observed in heat capacity that as magnetic field is increased to ~ 1 T, the two peak merge into a single peak around 3 K. However this peak is not suppressed under the application of magnetic field. Instead a new feature develops at 3.6 K above 1 T. The magnetic field induced new feature is investigated through entropy evolution, magnetic Gruneisen parameter and resistivity studies. These studies emphasis the fact that partial magnetic frustration due to field induced spin fluctuation is responsible for this observed feature. This partially frustrated regime develops a new antiferromagnetically ordered phase at high fields. In this compound magnetic field induced QCP is absent implying that the behavior of CeNiGe2 is not in accordance to Doniach model proposed for heavy fermions compounds.