Strong Ising Anisotropy in the Novel Ce-Chain Compound CePd3Pb2

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Abstract
We report the discovery of CePd3Pb2, a Ce-based intermetallic compound with strongly anisotropic magnetism. Ce ions form one-dimensional chains along the crystallographic b axis, and the low-temperature c-axis susceptibility exceeds the a- and b-axis susceptibilities by more than an order of magnitude, indicating strong Ising-like magnetic anisotropy. At low temperatures, CePd3Pb2 orders magnetically at TN = 1.1 K. For B //c, the magnetically ordered phase exhibits an unusual temperature--field phase diagram, in which an internal phase boundary terminates at a finite magnetic field rather than enclosing a separate ordered phase. Reflecting the strong magnetic anisotropy, the antiferromagnetic phase is much more robust against fields applied along the a and b axes, with critical fields more than an order of magnitude larger than that for B //c. These results establish CePd3Pb2 as a localized 4f magnet with quasi-one-dimensional Ce chains and giant Ising-like anisotropy.

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