Two-band conduction as a pathway to non-linear Hall effect and unsaturated negative magnetoresistance in the martensitic compound GdPd2Bi

Abstract

The present work aims to address the electronic and magnetic properties of the intermetallic compound GdPd$_2$Bi through a comprehensive study of the structural, magnetic, electrical and thermal transport on a polycrystalline sample, followed by theoretical calculations. Our findings indicate that the magnetic ground state is antiferromagnetic in nature. Magnetotransport data present prominent hysteresis loop hinting a structural transition with further support from specific heat and thermopower measurements, but no such signature is observed in the magnetization study. Temperature dependent powder x-ray diffraction measurements confirm martensitic transition from the high-temperature (HT) cubic Heusler $L2_1$ structure to the low-temperature (LT) orthorhombic $Pmma$ structure similar to many previously reported shape memory alloys. The HT to LT phase transition is characterized by a sharp increase in resistivity associated with prominent thermal hysteresis. Further, we observe robust Bain distortion between cubic and orthorhombic lattice parameters related by $a_{orth} = \sqrt{2}a_{cub}$, $b_{orth} = a_{cub}$ and $c_{orth} = a_{cub}/\sqrt{2}$, that occurs by contraction along $c$-axis and elongation along $a$-axis respectively. The sample shows an unusual `non-saturating' $H^2$-dependent negative magnetoresistance for magnetic field as high as 150 kOe. In addition, non-linear field dependence of Hall resistivity is observed below about 30 K, which coincides with the sign change of the Seebeck coefficient. The electronic structure calculations confirm robust metallic states both in the LT and HT phases. It indicates complex nature of the Fermi surface along with the existence of both electron and hole charge carriers. The anomalous transport behaviors can be related to the presence of both electron and hole pockets.