Electronic properties of <f>UNi2/3Rh1/3Al</f> single crystal

<f>UNi2/3Rh1/3Al</f>, a solid solution of UNiAl (Antiferromagnet (AF) with <f>TN−19.3 K</f>) and URhAl (Ferromagnet (F) with <f>TC−27 K</f>) exhibits no magnetic order due to a delicate balance of AF and F interactions. We report on a single-crystal susceptibility <f>χ</f>, magnetization <f>M</f> and resistivity <f>ρ</f> study. The huge uniaxial magnetic anisotropy typical for the parent compounds is preserved in <f>UNi2/3Rh1/3Al</f>. The <f>χc</f> vs. <f>T</f> (<f>ρ</f> vs. <f>T</f>) data exhibit a maximum (minimum) at <f>10 K</f>. The <f>Mc(B)</f> curve at <f>1.6 K</f> has a pronounced S-shape with an inflection around <f>12 T</f>. The increase of <f>ρ</f> with decreasing <f>T</f> below <f>10 K</f> is removed by magnetic fields. The low-<f>T</f> anomalies are attributed to proximity of magnetic order and AF correlations. The NFL features indicated earlier on polycrystals are not fully confirmed by single-crystal data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]