Anomalous Magnetostriction in CeAg_1−xIn_x

Abstract

The thermal expansion, magnetization and magnetostriction of CeAg_1−xIn_x with 0≤x≤0.5 have been measured between 4.2 K≤T≤300 K and in magnetic fields of up to 65 kOe. At its cubic-tetragonal transition temperature, the lattice contracts drastically with decreasing T for x≥0.01, while for x=0, no thermal expansion anomaly is found at the quadrupole ordering temperature. Anomalously large and irreversible magnetostriction is observed for x=0.01 and 0.03. Such behavior is interpreted in terms of the redistribution of the tetragonal phase domains induced by an application of magnetic field.