High-Field Magnetization in PrCo₂Si₂ Single Crystals

Abstract

Magnetic properties of PrCo₂Si₂ single crystals have been studied by measurements of high-field magnetization, magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity. Anomalous behaviors in the resistivity appear at three successive magnetic phase transition temperatures of 9, 17 and 30K. The magnetic susceptibility is highly anisotropic and is analyzed using the single-ion Hamiltonian, including the crystal-field and molecular-field effects. The thermal variations of the susceptibilities can be well reproduced by the crystal-field parameters estimated from the point-charge model. Metamagnetic transitions with four steps are observable in the c-axis magnetization process up to 300 kOe. The magnetization process is discussed in terms of the incommensurate exchange field model in the Ising system proposed by Date.