Magnetic Properties of NdCuGa₃ Single Crystals

The study of magnetic order in the f-electron system has received significant attention due to the finding of exotic magnetic phases of matter. The detailed low-temperature physical and magnetic characterization is critical for revealing an exotic magnetic ground state. This presentation will discuss the low-temperature magnetic properties of NdCuGa₃. NdCuGa₃ crystallizes in a tetragonal crystal structure with C_4v symmetry. It exhibits an antiferromagnetic phase below <i>T</i>_N = 3.5 K and no additional phase transition was detected down to 50 mK zero-field specific heat measurements. The nature of the antiferromagnetic phase is expected to have incommensurate magnetic ordering. We discuss the detailed structure, magnetic, and physical properties together with theoretical studies of NdCuGa₃.