High Field Magnetoresistance and de Haas-van Alphen Effect in CeSn₃

Abstract

The magnetoresistance and the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect in CeSn₃ have been measured in the field up to 150 kOe and at temperature down to 0.45 K. The magnetoresistance does not show a tendency to saturate in all field directions. This result claims that CeSn₃ is a compensated metal with an equal carrier concentration of electrons and holes, and electron and hole Fermi surfaces possess no open orbits. In contrast to an uncompensated metal LaSn₃, the 4f electrons in CeSn₃ become itinerant electrons. This is consistent with the dHvA data which are almost explained by the modified Fermi surface model based on the result of band calculation where the 4f electrons are treated the same as the usual s, p, d conduction electrons.