Elastic properties of NdFe4P12

Authors :: Tatsuma D. Matsuda
Hideyuki Sato
Masahito Yoshizawa
Hitoshi Sugawara
Yoshiki Nakanishi
Source :: Physica B: Condensed Matter. :827-828
Publication Year :: 2002
Publisher :: Elsevier BV, 2002.
Abstract: We have performed an ultrasonic measurement to investigate the elastic properties of the skutterudite compound NdFe 4 P 12 . A softening has been observed in all measured elastic constants, C 11 , (C 11 - C 12 )/2 and C 44 around the magnetic transition temperature T c of 1.9 K. The elastic softening is explained well on the basis of the crystalline electric field (CEF) effect. The theoretical fitting of the obtained results suggests that Γ (2) 67 quartet of Nd 3+ ion is plausible as the CEF ground state in NdFe 4 P 12 .